Greater Good Update 2020/05/18

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Report from the Greater Good Committee – by Lori Foster

Hi All:

I hope everyone is doing well and coping in the current situation. The Greater Good Committee has been discussing, by email, ways that our members may be able to help even though we can’t volunteer as a group. If you have been able to continue with the volunteer work you were already doing that is great. As humanists and members of our community, we all want to help in any way we can. Our committee has a few suggestions that may work for you.

Following the GGC’s suggestions is a description of the local charity I am working with. This organization, called Food for Thought, is continuing through the COVID-19 crisis to feed hungry children in the Central Okanagan and we need help.

Suggestions:

Donate blood
The Greater Good Committee was investigating the possibility of donating blood in KASHA’s name and will pursue this when the committee is able to resume our work. It is still possible to donate blood. If you can, and feel safe doing so, this is one way you could contribute.

Buy food from a local restaurant

Many local, small businesses are struggling financially. You could support business in our community by buying from a local restaurant.

“Tell them you care pen a message of love and support to seniors” through BC Caregivers

The following is information from the website for Tell them you care at https://bccare.ca/tellthemyoucare/

“BC Care Providers Association is inviting British Columbians from all corners of the province to submit a positive greeting to seniors receiving home care and those living in long-term care, assisted and independent living settings.”
“#TellThemYouCare is a web portal that allows the public to send messages, including handwritten notes, video links, drawings and other expressions of love and support to our seniors.”

Support you neighbours
In this current crisis many of us find ourselves needing help more than usual. If you are able to get out, run errands or help others check with your neighbours and your fellow KASHA members to see how you can help.
Share scientifically backed information on social media
We all know the problems with determining what information posted in social media is factual. Be sure you share only scientifically backed information on social media and please share it. There is so much “information” circulating now that is questionable, we need to try to get the facts distributed.

Donate time or funds to Hope for the Nations Food for Thought Program

I volunteer for Food for Thought. Right now, we need people to help at our community garden and we need financial help to buy enough groceries to feed hungry children in the Central Okanagan.

I think it is amazing, given how rich we are and the resources we have in Canada, that there are hungry people in our society. I am doing what I can to change the world so no one will be hungry. But until that happens, I am doing what I can to help feed hungry children in the Central Okanagan.

Food for Thought has a memorandum of understanding with School District 23 (SD23), which covers the Central Okanagan. When school is in session, Food for Thought delivers food to schools from West Kelowna to Lake Country. This food is used for two programs:  The Breakfast program which provides breakfast at school for any children in the 30 schools and a Backpack Program that sends food home with the most vulnerable children on week-ends.

We have continued the program and are providing food for children to take home.  Since the shutdown due to COVID-19, the demand for the program has increased by over 400%. We are now spending more in one week on groceries than we used to spend in one month.

Food for Thought also has a garden program. The Legacy Foundation has provided a garden plot at Helen’s Acres in Kelowna. Currently, volunteers are building raised beds with wheelchair access to grow organic produce for the Backpack Program. Help is needed building the beds and help will be needed planting and maintaining the gardens. So, if any KASHA folks are builders or are interested in helping with the gardening, there is an opportunity.

If you would like to check out Food for Thought, make a financial donation or volunteer to help with the gardens you can do it through their website at https://www.hopeforthenations.com/agents/food-for-thought/, or you can contact the Greater Good Committee at greatergood@askuskelowna.ca. You can also contact me (Lori) at 306-552-4111.

If you do volunteer in any way, not just the things we have mentioned here, The Greater Good Committee would like to hear about it. Please email us at greatergood@askuskelowna.ca. Especially, while we can’t get together it would be great to share how we are trying to help through the KASHA newsletter. Remember, no contribution is too small, and your story may give KASHA members and The Greater Good Committee ideas about how we can help further in the Okanagan community.

Submitted by Lori Foster