FAMILY FOOD HAMPERS
Support for those in need When the global pandemic hit, everything shut down. Schools were closed, people lost their jobs, and families were dealing with food insecurities. Around the same time, Langley School Board reached out to The Salvation Army Gateway of Hope, asking if we could help families in need. We quickly responded to the challenge and created the Family Food Hampers program. The initial plan was to run the program for two months, but there were so many families in need that with the generous support we received it was extended through the summer. Though the program was a great success, the needs from families continued to rise. The program returned in January and continued into the summer.
“We just want people to know that they can come to us in those situations.” Timing was perfect—when the school board reached out for help, we received funding from Agriculture Canada. If we didn’t have this funding, we were not going to be able to provide the hampers, and a lot of people would have gone without food. We typically provide a hamper every two weeks, usually including a $25 or $50 gift card with the food. Graciously the community pitched in and made donations to help deliver the hampers to their neighbors. Families were thankful that somebody was here to take care of them. They considered it a blessing as we took away some of the anxiety they had about feeding their kids. We had 110 families in the beginning, now that number is down to 45–50 a week. “That speaks volumes about how people are bouncing back,” says Julie Gilfillin, Operations Manager, Langley Gateway of Hope. “We knew the food banks were low on resources and if we did not create this program I believe a lot of children and families would have gone to bed hungry,” says Gilfillin. “And without the support of the people of this community, we would not have got through this difficult time.”
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THE SALVATION ARMY ANNUAL REPORT 2020–2021
