When a food bank receives special recognition for its work, the community needs to take notice.
On Saturday, the Summerland Food Bank and Resource Centre received the Mayor’s Award of Excellence at the Business and Community Excellence Awards.
The designation was given in recognition of the ongoing work done by the centre since it was formed in the spring of 1984.
The centre, in the basement of the Summerland United Church, has become an important part of the community, with plenty of dedicated volunteers.
Summerlanders have given generously to support the food bank, with many donations of food and money.
This level of support is appreciated and it allows the centre to provide help to those in need.
Unfortunately, the need has been growing. Over the past year, nearly 600 people within the community — roughly five per cent of our population — received assistance from the facility.
The number of recipients has been growing in past years and it’s time to take notice.
Although Summerland is a prosperous community, there are also some who are living in need. This need must be addressed.
It’s not enough to provide assistance.
Causes of poverty and financial obstacles must be examined and addressed.
Some of this has been happening already. Governments at all levels have been noticing the growing problem of poverty. In Summerland, discussions have taken place about providing affordable housing to help those in need.
Now it’s time to move beyond the discussion stage and take action.
An increasing poverty rate, reflected in a growing demand for food bank services, is a problem which must be taken seriously.