A heart-warming donation to our food bank
By Rossland Telegraph
Food banks are stepping up to help those most impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, and others are stepping up to help our food banks do that. Recently, the Kootenay Savings Community Foundation made a donation of $50,000 to be divided among eleven food banks in our region. A more modest but equally heart-warming donation of $10 came in from a woman who lives in Prince George.
Carol Hansson of Prince George has been raising funds for food banks by selling key chains, inscribed with a heart and the name of whatever community is requested; she charges $15 for a keychain. She contributes $10 from each sale of a keychain to the food bank closest to the community named on the keychain. Someone bought a “Rossland” keychain from her, so she paid $10 to the Rossland Food Bank.
She was inspired by the “hearts in the window” phenomenon for the design of the keychains. The metal discs are aluminum, and she hand-stamps them with the heart design and the name of the community. She has a small home-based business making customized hand-stamped items – “everything from stainless steel bangles to sterling silver rings.”
She explained, “I am taking absolutely no profit from these keychains; the $5 covers both the cost of my supplies and the cost for shipping, which is free within Canada.”
She was also proud to report that her local Canadian Tire store had purchased 100 of her keychains, resulting in another $1,000 donation to their local food bank.
Anyone interested in buying a keychain, resulting in a $10 contribution to a food bank, can reach Carol at 250-552-8062 or jhansson@telus.net.
Carol paid the $10 to the Rossland Food Bank by using “Canada Helps” – anyone who wants an easy way to give the food bank money can do the same; here’s the link: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/rossland-food-bank/
Or, for those who prefer cheques and snail mail, the Rossland Food Bank’s mailing address is: PO Box 167, Rossland, BC , V0G 1Y0.
Rossland Food Bank volunteer Megan responded to Carol Hansson’s keychain initiative and donation. She wrote,
“In the 20 years the Rossland Food Bank has operated, we have been faithfully supported solely through the generosity of Rosslanders. Thankfully, we have never had the need to actively solicit funds to keep the doors open. During this unsettling and uncharted time of health and financial worries for so many, Rossland residents, local organizations and area businesses have once again reached out with strong support for our Food Bank. The pandemic has brought out the positive, supportive side of so many people and Ms. Hansson’s keychains are a unique way to express the sentiment that, like it or not, we are all in this together.”
Asked about the current status of the food bank, she added, “Our foodbank volunteers came together in mid March and formulated a plan to enable us continue operating in a safe manner for both the volunteers and our clients. We’re are open – stocked and staffed and ready to serve those who come to our door.”
