HUDSON’S HOPE, B.C – The Friends of Hudson’s Hope Society is already planning for the Christmas season, and have applied to the BC Hydro GO Fund asking for $7,500 toward its food bank and hamper programs.
Both programs combined cost $24,000 to run each year, and half the funding has already been secured, says Society Administrator Patti Campbell.
The Society’s thrift store was closed for three months at the start of the pandemic, the main source of revenue for the non-profit.
“Anything grants or assistance from the outside helps. Donations were a challenge for a while, but we’re ready for another year,” said Campbell. “We’re taking things day by day; our thrift store is a lot slower than it was, pre-pandemic.”
The society remains a lifeline for many in Hudson’s Hope, providing numerous social services including a mobile palliative care bed, financial support for medical travel, addiction and disability support, and disaster relief.
“We’re close knit, and no one allows anyone else to go without. If it wasn’t for our community, we would have struggled last year,” said Campbell. “But the community really steps up, it doesn’t seem to matter if it’s our organization or others, we can always count on them.”
The annual food drive wasn’t the same last year due to COVID. Campbell noted residents missed the face-to-face time with the local fire department, which was replaced with socially-distanced drop off points.
“That’s part of the whole fundraiser, is people get to see the fire department, they get to talk with them, they get to interact with them,” Campbell.
Anyone looking to donate or volunteer with the society can phone 250-783-9211, email fohh15@gmail.com, or drop by in person.
Written by Tom Summer, Local Journalism Initiative
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