Older volunteers from Tahsis Seniors Society (TSS) got together with the Community Cupboard to pack and distribute groceries to residents in need.
Tahsis a small village of 316 residents is located on a remote stretch on western VVancouver Island. With one grocery store in town, most residents get their supplies from Campbell River which is three hours away.
In Tahsis, over 60 per cent of residents are senior citizens and their ability to get fresh produce is limited due to transportation issues. In addition, due to the pandemic, seniors were also deemed as high-risk/vulnerable individuals.
“Through our membership we recognized there is a need for a sustainable food source,” said John Taylor, president of TSS.
So TSS partnered with Tahsis Community Cupboard to distribute fresh produce and diary products once a week to senior community members and households that have been impacted by COVID-19, said Taylor.
“There are people with lesser income, or those without employment as well as seniors who are unable to get fresh produce,” said Taylor.
TSS applied and received funds from the Good Food Access Fund (GFAF) to address the existing and anticipated food access needs in the community. GFAF is a national-level response to improve shorter-term food access for people and households severely impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.
Every Thursday, volunteers gather to pack and distribute the groceries that have been brought in from Campbell River. “There’s an army of folks at work here,” said Taylor of the truckers who pick-up the groceries and deliver it in town, to the volunteers who pack it and then help distribute supplies.
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