LLCS volunteers are continuing to partner with Chefs Warehouse, Van Whole Produce, and Superstore @Grandview Highway to distribute much-needed food and fresh produce to organizations serving homeless and impoverished citizens across Metro Vancouver. This coming Thursday, 5000 lbs of food will be distributed to vulnerable families in the Metro Vancouver area through the Covid-19 Community Caring Drive.
On Friday, April 17, LLCS volunteers started the morning by distributing dry food, frozen food, and fresh fruit to those in need. Volunteers started the day at 10:30 a.m. sorting and boxing all the food into packages, and finished the drop-offs in the evening. The LLCS recruited volunteers from the B.C. Paramedics, Tri-Cities Moms Group, and the Immigrant Society Center of Coquitlam to help with the distribution.
One of the main recipients of the donations was Union Gospel Mission’s New Westminster Kitchen, headed by a chef who used to be both homeless and an alcoholic. However, after turning his life around, he became sober and recently celebrated 75 years of public service.
Another recipient organization is CityReach.org, which runs community food banks to provide poor families from East Vancouver and Coquitlam with food.
LLCS food group volunteers also delivered the food and fruit donations to senior citizens living in Trailer Parks across Coquitlam, immigrant families in Surrey, and frontline workers at the DTES BC Ambulance Station, various Coquitlam Fire Stations, and at Children’s Hospitals. Many single parents living in the Tri-Cities area rely heavily on local food banks, as well as nurses in isolation. The LLCS would like to express its gratitude to front-line workers who are working diligently to protect the public from the novel virus.
The LLCS partnered with Superstore on Grandview Highway, which donated thousands of pounds of canned food and fresh fruit to help those living below the poverty line in the East Vancouver Ray-Cam community. One volunteer at the center praised the LLCS and Superstore for the donation: “This is going to help a lot of families, thank you.” To express our thanks, the LLCS partnered with the Sea Island Starbucks to deliver hot coffee to Superstore as an expression of gratitude for their support to help community members in need.
The LLCS is proud to be serving those who need our help and will continue to extend its services and programs to those in need. The LLCS thanks its volunteers, corporate and individual sponsors, and partner community service organizations for all their generosity and support in helping our programs run successfully.
The LLCS is currently accepting both monetary and in-kind donations from individuals and corporate sponsors to help local communities in need. Tax receipts are available for donations of $20 or more. If you can donate, please make the cheque payable to “Lotus Light Charity Society” and mail it to Lotus Light Charity Society, 200-357 E. Hastings St, Vancouver, BC V6A 1P3. You can also donate online by Visa or Mastercard, or through our website: http://vllcs.org/en/donation/. The LLCS is a registered charity (BN 14110-4893-RR0001). We could be reached at 604-685-5548 or by email at llcsvancouver@gmail.com.
