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Surrey-wide food program delivers 1,000 hampers with help of $20,000-grant

SurreyCares Community Foundation provides funding to City Dream Centre initiative
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Loretta Hibbs, Founder and President of City Dream Centre and Jodie Reimer who is a key volunteer.

The City Dream Centre will be able to continue to deliver bi-weekly food hampers with the help of a $20,000 grant.

The SurreyCares Community Foundation gave a grant of $20,070 to City Dream Centre, which was announced Wednesday (Jan. 13).

The program, which originally ran between April and August 2020, provided between 900 and 1,000 food hampers to individuals, families, seniors and others experiencing low income “compounded by COVID-19.”

“As the need for their food hampers has increased, this funding will cover the costs of food, rentals, disinfecting supplies, masks, gloves and printing for the months to come.”

In June of 2020, SurreyCares gave a $46,000-grant to City Dream Centre in the initial run of its food hamper program.

READ ALSO: Emergency fund put to work as 1,000 food hampers being sent to Surrey families, June 17, 2020

Kelly Voros, City Dream Centre’s executive administrator, said the project “fills a unique gap in that it offers connection to the recipients, as well as food.”

She said over the summer the deliveries “were mainly to low-income housing complexes near inner-city schools” where the Surrey school board had identified a need.

The SurreyCares grant is part of the federal government’s $350-million Emergency Community Support Fund, “which saw more than $900,000 allocated to SurreyCares in its first round and now, over $575,000 in the second round.”

Christine Buttkus, SurreyCares’ executive director, said while COVID has been challenging for the community, “Surrey has truly pulled together.”

Meanwhile, individuals and businesses who wish to support Surrey charities are asked to give to the Surrey Community Relief Fund. The is a goal is to raise $500,000 to support the most vulnerable populations in Surrey.

READ ALSO: Additional relief grant allows Cloverdale Community Kitchen to keep feeding seniors, Dec. 24, 2020

READ ALSO: Sources receives $70K from SurreyCares, July 10, 2020



lauren.collins@surreynowleader.com

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Lauren Collins

About the Author: Lauren Collins

I'm a provincial reporter for Black Press Media's national team, after my journalism career took me across B.C. since I was 19 years old.
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