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We want to say, thank you!  Your generosity means that you understand just what the word community means.  You are proof that when a group comes together it can make a real positive difference in the lives of others.

2016 marked the 25th Anniversary of the program where we gifted 250 hampers to residents of Cloverdale, Port Kells and part of South Surrey.  A medium-sized family (4-5 individuals) received boxes with more than $250 worth of non-perishable food, household items and sundries, plus a grocery gift card in order to purchase fresh food.  Families with children were also able to pick out at least 2 - 3 gifts to put under the Christmas tree.  Thanks to donors like you devoting funds, food, gifts and volunteer hours, we were able to ensure that more than 500 people, including 100 seniors, 120 children and 80 youth had enough food to get through the holiday season.  A single father who received a hamper left a message saying, “Thank you so much for the hamper.  I have never had this much food in my house at once in my life.  I felt overwhelmed when I came, but the lady that helped me was so friendly.  This will make Christmas better for me and my daughter.”

We were able to feed the community in new ways during the program this year, such as a free senior’s lunch where 40 seniors were served a warm meal and given an opportunity to socialize, apply for hampers if they so wished and hear about other community resources available to them.  This hamper season we were also able to extend an invitation to all our recipients to attend a fully served Christmas turkey dinner at the Cloverdale Community Kitchen.  We served over 200 people at that meal. 

Thanks to our open-handed community, the program received approximately $100,000 worth of groceries, toys, monetary and in-kind donations.  Donations received came from schools, businesses, community organizations, churches and individuals. Less than 15% of this total was used to cover overhead costs, including two part-time employees, supplies, promotion, vehicle fuel, and warehouse/storage space.   All of these efforts were made possible because of over 500 volunteers that served countless hours to nourish the community with good food and kindness. 

We look forward to the 2017 program where hope to expand the program and reach as many in need in our area as possible.  This could include a program for low-income families to receive school supplies and lunch box items to help with back-to-school expenses.  We hope that you will partner with us again for 2017.

With gratitude,

Matthew Campbell - Cloverdale Community Kitchen Director

Taya Vantol - Administrative Coordinator