It was easy come, easy go for the Cloverdale Community Kitchen May 12.
After receiving 1,000 ready-to-go meals in the afternoon, they were all given out to people in need less than 24 hours later.
“We got a call from the United Way and they said they were offered 1,000 meal kits from Goodfood,” explained CCK director Matt Campbell. “They were delivering the meals to hospital workers in Vancouver, but had 1,000 extra.”
Goodfood was driving the meals in from Calgary.
Campbell said the United Way called a bunch of charities, but no one had the space. Campbell said CCK wouldn’t have had space either a few months ago, but the Community Kitchen just added a third reefer, a refrigeration unit, to go with their other two freezer units.
“We were the only charity with the capacity to take the 1,000 meals, as they all needed to be refrigerated.”
Campbell said they gave about 400 to Sources, then a few hundred more to recovery houses in Langley, Surrey, and White Rock.
“We handed the rest out today at food bank—about 400,” said Campbell.
SEE ALSO: Cloverdale food bank adding an extra distribution day
“It was great for us. It’s exciting that we have become a food charity in the city that can take large shipments, help other charities, and in turn help more people than ever.”
Campbell said the third 40-foot shipping container was added at the beginning of April.
“The new unit allows us to do things like this, but it also helps us with food bank and allows us to help others.”
Campbell said he can store up to 20 skids of vegetables in the new unit, allowing them to give fresh produce to food bank recipients, the recovery homes they support, and to other charities in Surrey, Langley and White Rock.
editor@cloverdalereporter.com
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