Maple Roch teams up with London Drugs in Penticton, West Kelowna and Kelowna for food bank donations

Photo: Contributed

Penticton, West Kelowna and Kelowna location London Drugs have teamed up with Maple Roch in Summerland to sell Christmas baskets and will be donating 10 per cent of the proceeds to local food banks in the area. 

The gift baskets launched on Friday, after Maple Roch owner Roch Fortin approached London Drugs with the idea of giving some of the proceeds to the local food banks in their respective communities. London Drugs carries select Maple Roch products within their local central shelves already. 

“It’s huge,” Fortin said in response to London Drugs working with them on this holiday initiative. “I think that association with a larger corporation like London Drugs coming up and saying how can we help, how can we contribute to the well being of the community, I think is a huge step.”

Fortin, a past director of the Summerland Food Bank, added that following Christmas is an especially difficult time for families in need. While the food bank appreciates the food donated to them, the organizations need cash or money donations as well to run their facilities. 

Another area in which the gift baskets plan to help is creating jobs. Fortin intends to employ individuals looking for work in his community to help make the baskets.

“We are a family,” Fortin said, who prides his business on being a social enterprise, as he forms partnerships with other small business entrepreneurs. “We also like to work and make sure that everyone is looked after during this Christmas season. During the entire year.

“The more baskets we sell, the more can be given to everyone,” Fortin explained. “That is very important.”