Rotary Centre for the Arts invites the community to join the Drive-by Light Up, Thursday, December 3, 2020, from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. supporting the Central Okanagan Community Food Bank. The community celebrates the holiday season's festive lights and music from a safe distance, while Volunteers will be collecting food bank donations from vehicles in our Rotary Centre for the Arts parking lot at 421 Cawston Drive in downtown Kelowna.
This pandemic has unleashed both health and economic crises globally and locally, causing a greater demand for community food banks, especially with the upcoming holiday season. With the new COVID-19 guidelines and regulations, the Rotary Centre for the Arts has pivoted how they offer arts and cultural events and programs.
"This holiday season, more than ever, Kelowna's Rotary Centre for the Arts wants to help the community embrace the festive spirit by bringing a non-perishable food item to our Drive-By Light Up - Food Bank Collection. CoFood Bank and RCA volunteers will be collecting the food items for those in need in our community," explains Colleen Fitzpatrick, Executive Director at the Rotary Centre for the Arts.
"Nearly 5,000 Kelowna and West Kelowna residents access services provided by the Central Okanagan Food Bank every month. In recent weeks, client registration has risen sharply, and client usage has increased by almost 27%. Our most vulnerable community members, including children and seniors, are experiencing a heightened risk of food insecurity during this uncertain and challenging season. As a non-government funded non-for-profit organization, we rely on the generosity of our entire community to help us provide nutritious food to our neighbours in need. Thank you for your support," said Sarah Martin, Community Development Coordinator for Central Okanagan Food Bank.
Non-perishable food items can be dropped off at the Rotary Centre for the Arts' Box Office at 421 Cawston Avenue in downtown Kelowna, Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Rotary Centre for the Arts is accepting donations on behalf of the Food Bank through December 13.