98
|
AUTUMN
/
EARLY WINTER
2015
Beaver Valley Outreach
has
launchedanexcitingnewcommunity food ini-
tiative in The Blue Mountains, called BVO
GoodNeighbours,whichwillhelp local fam-
iliesand individualsputgood foodon their ta-
bles.
Partneringwith Foodland Thornbury, shop-
persat Foodlandwillbeaskedbycashiers to
add25¢ to their groceryorder tohelp local
families inneedpurchasegoodquality food
in the store. Foodland brandedGifts Cards, pre-
loadedwith sums of money, will bedistributedby
BVO topeople in thecommunityneedinghelpwith
buyinggroceries,whowill redeem thegift cards to-
wards theirgrocerypurchases.
“This programwill enable BVO to helppeople in
the community in a better way,” says BVO co-
founderandBoardmemberNorineBaron. “It isan
unfortunate fact that food banks have become a
part of our culture in Canada.We at BVO have
neverbelieved that foodbanksareagood idea for
community development, although we did have
foodcupboardswhenweopenedour first location
inClarksburg in the late1980s.”
“Every year, fooddrives are conducted for BVO.
With largeamountsof foodcoming inallatonce, is-
suesof handling, food storageand identifyingbest
beforedateshavebeenchallenging forBVOvolun-
teersandstaff,especially in thewinter,”Baronadds.
“TheGoodNeighboursprogramwill helpusdeal
with these issuesmore efficiently, while respecting
thedignityofpeople. It offersamuchbetterwayof
gettinggoodquality food topeople inour commu-
nitywho need it. Theywill haveabetter choiceof
food that suits them, with access to fresh produce
andperishablegroceryproducts.”
Although BVOGoodNeighbours is meant to re-
place annual food drives, Norine Baron empha-
sizes that the organizationwill continue toaccept
grocery donations from community groups and
events, especially for items like toiletriesandclean-
ingproducts.
According to Baron, BVO has always valued its
good relationswith local businesses, and thepart-
nershipwithFoodlandThornbury representsawin-
win arrangement that will benefit everyone.
FoodlandownerBrian Leduc ispleased tobepart-
neringwithBeaver ValleyOutreach in thenew ini-
tiative.
“BVOdoesvitalwork in thecommunity,and
we’re happy to be on board,” he says. “I
havealwaysbelieved that ahandup isbet-
ter than a handout. TheGoodNeighbours
programwillmake iteasier toprovidegood
food for recipients while maintaining their
dignity.”
BVOGoodNeighbourswas inspiredby a
program inWoodstock,Ontario,whichhas
raised tens of thousands of dollars to help
people in the community purchase good quality
food at local stores.With an estimated 5,000 to
7,000 patrons per week shopping at Foodland
Thornbury, theprogram isdestined tobecomea re-
sounding success.
Beaver ValleyOutreach is anot-for-profit, commu-
nity-basedorganizationof staffandvolunteersded-
icated to “making good things happen in our
community”. Forover30years, BVOhasbeende-
liveringa varietyof qualityprograms and services
toenhance thesocial,economicandenvironmental
well-beingof residents inTheBlueMountains.
|E|
To learnmore about BVOGoodNeighbours, please contact NorineBaron
at 519-599-2442orBonnieFinnat
Formore information
on BVO, its programs and services, and to volunteer or donate to BVO,
please call 519-599-2577 or visit
ESCARPMENT
®
community
Adding 25¢ to your weekly grocery bill will help local families in need.
33 bruce st thornbury 519.599.7072 7 days
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