West Boundary food banks have been approved for $12,000 in funding grants by the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary.
The regional district’s board of directors voted to award the grants at its last meeting Thursday, Nov. 25, according to a district news release.
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Duncan Scott, President and volunteer at Rock Creek’s Kettle River Food Share Society (KRFSS), said the organization has received a $6,000 grant toward’s next year’s salary for Program Co-ordinator Rick Steingard. The society has also received a $3,000 grant Scott said would buy meat and cheese for KRFSS’s roughly 70 long-term clients, many of whom Scott said are children.
“We were in the midst of purchasing 100 pounds of ground beef when the grant came in last week,” he said Wednesday, Dec. 1. “Meat is something that we lack from time to time,” he added.
Scott qualified that Steingard puts in work over and above what the society can reasonably pay for.
“He drives up to Osoyoos at least once a week to pick up food donated by the Buy-Low Foods up there.”
KRFSS saw an increase in demand during last summer’s Nk’Mip wildfire, which forced many area people to evacuate their homes. More people have been accessing the society’s services more recently, according to Scott.
The RDKB’s board has meanwhile approved a $2,000 grant in aid to the Kettle Wildlife Association.
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