Feed the Need

Give the gift of local food and help feed community members in need

 

When you join Feed the Need, your impact goes twice as far. Each donation supports community members experiencing food insecurity and strengthens our local food system. Your contribution ensures that fresh produce reaches those who need it. Give the gift of local food and help feed community members in need. 

 

Donate TO FEED THE NEED

 

WHAT is Local? Local is a community-powered local food store that connects the Fernie community with local farmers and producers, making fresh, local food available year-round.

WHAT is Evergreens? Evergreens Farm is a social enterprise in Fernie that grows fresh, local produce year-round and supports the community by donating a portion of its harvest to the Fernie Food Bank.

WHAT is Wildsight?  The Wildsight Elk Valley Branch is a non-profit organization that aims to cultivate a thriving, knowledgeable, and resilient local food culture through education, advocacy and community engagement.

WHY does this matter? According to Food Banks BC, food bank visits have increased 81% since 2019, and 31% of all food bank users are children. Food security is a major concern in Fernie due to rising costs of living and higher food prices in our remote mountainous region. Feed the Need expands food access for community members facing food insecurity.

 

 “I think it is a wonderful program. It was so nice to have access to the lovely local and fresh products that I would be otherwise unable to afford for my family. It made me feel special for a few weeks. Thank you so much.”  – 2022 Gift Card Recipient

 

 

Your $20 a month, or one-time donation, goes directly toward feeding community members in need. Half of every donation funds Local gift cards distributed through the Fernie Women’s Resource Centre, while the other half supports Evergreens Farm in donating fresh produce to the Fernie Food Bank.

 

This is Community-Powered Local Food for all.

The program was inspired by Local’s successful Second Harvest program in 2022, when $18,000 of local food was distributed to 150 vulnerable families and individuals in the Elk Valley through a gift card program. The program was funded by a grant from Second Harvest, Canada’s largest food rescue charitable organisation. In 2023, Local received another $5,000 donation from 100 Women Who Care Fernie which supported another 30 vulnerable households. Local has received wonderful feedback from previous gift card recipients about how a gift of local food has made a difference in their lives.

Feed the Need first launched in December 2023 at Local, and over $7,200 was raised in the first year.  Now, Local and Evergreens Farm have partnered together to double the impact. 

 

Read more about it…

 

How can I help?


Wildsight Elk Valley’s food projects highlight the impact of a connected, community-focused network that nurtures sustainable agriculture and food security in our region…Read More 
Position: Retail Coordinator – Local Store Deadline to apply: Aug 20th, 2024 Compensation: $18-21/hour depending on experience Scope: Part-time.Read More 
Position: Retail Coordinators – Local Store Deadline to apply: January 22nd, 2024 Compensation: $18-21/hour Scope: Part-time.Read More 
Read more news

Join The Team

Want to protect wildlife, clean water and wild spaces? Volunteer with us! Wildsight volunteers are a very special group of people who give generously of their time to stuff envelopes, attend rallies, help run events, put up posters, keep tabs on forestry practices in their communities and participate in citizen science initiatives.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Branch Information

Contact

632 2nd Ave
PO Box 537,
Fernie, BC V0B 1M0
Phone: 250.423.3322
elkvalley@wildsight.ca