Food Outreach Partners
The GAP donates fruit to community organizations who share the fruit through their programs. Our partners include:
Kamloops Food Bank
The food bank provides healthy food to any resident of Kamloops who is in need while allowing them to maintain their dignity. They would never be able to accomplish this if not for their talented and dedicated group of volunteers. As well as their hamper programs, the food bank collects, sorts, and distributes food items donated from local grocery stores through their Foodshare program.
ASK Wellness
A local agency that is dedicated to helping marginalized and at-risk individuals in our community. Following the agencies guiding principles of harm reduction, client centered and social justice; the staff and volunteers of ASK are involved in addressing the needs of our communities’ most vulnerable populations
Elizabeth Fry Society
An active community based non-profit agency that offers programs and services in the areas of housing and community justice to people in the Kamloops area, with a focus on women and youth. A regular group of volunteers from Elizabeth Fry comes out to glean and then shares the harvest with other families who are unable to pick fruit themselves.
Interior Community Services – Community Kitchens and We Can Together
A Community Kitchen is a small group of people who get together in order to prepare meals and learn healthier cooking techniques and habits. We Can Together is a program that partners seniors who know how to can with individuals and families who don’t. The seniors share their skills and expertise and together they can and make preserves. In2014, much of the fruit gleaned by the GAP was canned or made into jam, salsa, or chutney by the eager volunteers in these two programs.
St. Vincent De Paul Society
In the back of the St Vincent De Paul thrift shop is a kitchen and dining area where volunteers prepare breakfast for hungry men, women, and children several days a week. The fresh fruit donated by the GAP is a welcome addition to the breakfast program.
New Life Mission
The mission offers various programs to the less fortunate in our community – among them a hot lunch program which is available seven days a week. Fresh fruit can be baked into pies or crisps or offered fresh to mission visitors.
Centre for Seniors Information
CSI is a non-profit charitable organization which has been offering free services to assist seniors with independent living for over two decades. They lobby for solutions to assist low income seniors with aging in place in safe, appropriate housing and are dedicated to supporting seniors with issues such as abuse, health and finances. They have a kitchen and concession for special events. Donations of fresh fruit are put out to share or used in baking.