Big donation to Gleaners

Photo: Darren Handschuh

A large donation will provide better ventilation for the Gleaners new automated bagging system.

The North Okanagan Valley Gleaners will be able to breathe a little easier while helping to create millions of meals a year.

A member of the Gleaners has donated $100,000 to the organization for a ventilation system for their new bagging system.

Brad Egerton, with the Gleaners, said the non-profit group recently installed a system that makes bagging the dehydrated soup base faster and more efficient.

But, it also generates a lot of dust so a ventilation system is needed.

“One of our greatest concerns is the safety of our volunteers so one of our volunteers has donated $100,000 to upgrade the system and remove the dust,” said Egerton, adding $35,000 of that money will be used to rebuild the 40-year-old vegetable dicer.

A new dicer would cost double that amount.

Egerton said the donation shows how much heart and caring Gleaners volunteers have.

The Gleaners produce up to 7 million meals a year.

“Our vision is to be at 13 million meals within the next couple of years,” he said.

The meals are sent around the world, including North Korea which is no easy feat considering the closed off nature of the communist country.