Abbeyfield House ‘ecstatic’ after $2,500 grocery donation

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A senior-living charitable organization in Fort St. John has received a grocery donation worth $2,500. 

In a Facebook post uploaded to Abbeyfield House Fort St. John’s page, the organization announced the donation from Remax Action Realty and Century 21 which came in just before Christmas. 

Don Smith, treasurer and director at Abbeyfield House, told Energeticcity.ca: “[Donations like this] help to keep our operating costs or food costs down and it enables us to keep the rents low and affordable for our residents.”

Deena Del Giusto, a realtor with Remax Action Realty, told Energeticcity.ca the donation for Abbeyfield House was a combined effort where all the realtors in the Remax office donated. 

She said: “I think that it’s important for every person to support their community and obviously that includes the people in it and the people that can’t provide for themselves.” 

Last year alone, Abbeyfield House received over $35,000 in donations.

Smith said: “We get all sorts of donations and services throughout the year.

“Urban Systems help us with grab sales and they help with planting in the summertime.” 

Smith said residents at Abbeyfield House are very happy about the donation. 

“They’re ecstatic anytime they get recognized and realize that it’s helping to reduce and keep the rents at an affordable amount,” he said, adding Abbeyfield operates at a deficit every year.

Smith said: “Our donations help us to keep it [Abbeyfield House] operating [and] without donations we wouldn’t survive.”

Jim Harris, director at Abbeyfield House, told Energeticcity.ca the house is self-sufficient and does not receive any government funding. 

Harris said: “Everything we do is on a donation basis and that’s how we keep the lights on, keep the residents fed and employees here. 

“As our community starts aging, [people may be concerned about] where are we going to go or where do we fit in later down the road? 

“And we [want to] open people’s eyes that there are places like this in Fort St John. 

“We do have the facilities but without donations, we’re going to lose those facilities and then there’ll be nothing.” 

Find out more about Abbeyfield House at https://www.abbeyfieldfsj.org/.