We gratefully accept donations as the need for our services continues to rise!

As our community sees mounting increases in housing costs, many of our neighbors continue to struggle in unexpected ways. It is our vision at the CVFB to relieve hunger in the Columbia Valley, and we need our communities help to achieve this vision.

The Columbia Valley Food Bank is supported primarily by cash and food donations from individuals, visitors, community organizations, churches, service clubs, and businesses in the Valley. Your generosity is what has enabled the Food Bank to continue to provide its service to people in the community whose circumstances dictate the need for additional support to improve their quality of life.

With so many neighbors still experiencing food insecurity, it’s critical that we keep up the momentum. Please take this moment to make your donation now.

Thank you once again for helping the CVFB weather the storm. We’re so grateful for your generosity, and hope you’ll continue to make healthy food available to those in need.

Donate Financially

We offer 3 easy ways to make a FINANCIAL DONATION to the Columbia Valley Food Bank.

1)  Etransfers – please direct your eTransfer to  donationscvfb@shaw.ca

2)  Mail in a cheque to:
Columbia Valley Food Bank
PO Box 2141, Invermere, BC  V0A 1K0

3)  Make a donation online via Canada Helps.

Donate Food

Where are the “DONATION BINS” to drop off food items?

Red Apple, Joe’s NoFrills, Sobey’s, AG Foods and the Radium Public Library, all have donation boxes on-site where FOOD donations may be dropped off.  These boxes are emptied on a regular basis by our group of volunteers.

And of the course the Columbia Valley Food Bank during our hours of operation.

Donate Online

WISH LIST

  • Healthy kid’s snacks
  • Celiac friendly foods
  • Canned tomatoes
  • Canned soups
  • Kraft dinner
  • Pasta
  • Soda crackers
  • Baked beans
  • Canned meat (turkey, tuna, chicken)
  • Gluten free items (cereal, pasta, soup)
  • Hygiene products
  • Canned fruit
  • School-friendly snacks:  (peanut-free & low sugar) granola bars, fruit cups, apple sauce, fruit roll ups

FOOD DONATIONS FROM INDIVIDUALS

Due to health and safety issues we are not able to accept the following items:

  • Homemade items
  • Expired food
  • Products containing alcohol
  • Supplements
  • Open packages of food
  • Prepared foods

If you are interested in donating perishable items such as fruits, vegetables (including fresh garden produce) please contact us first. These items require special care to ensure they are healthy and safe to offer.

FOOD DONOR ENCOURAGEMENT ACT

CVFB is committed to our generous donors, our recipients and to the safe handling of all food donations.

BC’s Food Donor Encouragement Act is intended to protect donors from liability as they act in good faith to donate surplus perishable food while ensuring recipients’ rights are protected.

CVFB also partners with Second Harvest, Canada’s largest food rescue charity, to recover food on a weekly basis from Joes No Frills, reducing avoidable food waste.

COLUMBIA VALLEY FOOD BANK DONORS; WHO ARE THEY?

The CVFB was most grateful to receive a donation from the Albert Cooper estate a number of years ago, and in recognition of his generosity, the building was named for him.

Since then, we have been honored to receive other large donations from foundations and trusts, individuals and organizations that helped us finance our new facility.  However, by far, the largest portions of our yearly operational budget is funded by our donors.

So who are these donors, and why do they feel that it is important for them to support our activities?

We feel fortunate to have regular donors – folks that are sending donations on a consistent basis.  Some send small cheque monthly, considering it important enough to include in their family budget.  A local church congregation sends a donation every month.  There are individuals  in our community that donate monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or yearly in various amounts.  Some donors traditionally donate at Christmas, others during he summer or as a memorial to a lost friend or loved one.  Local businesses provide bins where customers can place purchased food items, and it’s remarkable how quickly these need to be emptied!

Occasionally we have had very unexpected but welcome donations.  We have had donations of groceries and cash from kids hosting birthday parties where the asked for donations for the food bank instead of gifts for themselves.  There have been gold tournaments where the participants have contributed a bit extra to be used as a support for us.  In some of these cases, the donations been very significant!  And, of course, the Jim Ashworth Walk last summer in celebration of his 101st birthday was truly exceptional.

Over the years, the CVFB has been supported by a number of initiatives that occur regularly (in normal years!), such as the Canada Day parade, the Radium Show and Shine, Feed the Valley, Feed the Town and the CP Holiday Train.  all of these activities have made significant contribution to our operating budget.  Several businesses regularly have special “drives” on our behalf where they offer customers discounts or bonuses for donations to our organization.  We are grateful to these businesses and organizations for their ongoing support.

When our valley experienced the realities of the Covid-19 pandemic this past spring, restaurants and other businesses that were shutting down or altering their regular operations generously donated excess food, supplies or products.

During that difficult time, some supported our initiatives by producing meals and food items (soups, pasta dishes, etc.)  that we could freeze and distribute to our clients.

So why do all of these donors contribute in so many ways?  The obvious answer is that friends and neighbors throughout all the communities we serve understand their responsibility to care for those who need food support – no one wants to think that neighbors or their children might be going hungry.  As well, may times, we’ve heard from donors that they themselves had to access the food Bank’s services at some point and wish to pay it forward.  Our Valley residents and donors value their way of life and have a real sense of community, whether living here full time or part-time.  Their gratitude translates into a wish that it be possible for all residents.

Written by Jim Nielsen

ALBERT COOPER
1924-2012

The current location of the CVFB is new to us. The building was built in 2020 and all because of this generous donor.

ALBERT COOPER

This building is named after Albert (1924-2012), born and raised in the Columbia Valley. He was an outfitter, outdoors-man, rancher, and friend to many. His zest for life lead to a dedication to the people and wildlife of the valley. Albert volunteered his time to a number of local causes and programs.

A substantial bequest from his estate allowed the Columbia Valley Food Bank to dream of constructing this facility to better serve the needs of Valley residents for years to come.