Our mission is to coordinate a network of partners in the Kitimat Valley to feed the hungry
Helping Hands
P: 250-632-6581 or
T: 1-866-632-6581
T: 1-866-632-6581
About Helping Hands
About the Project
The Food Recovery Program collects perishable
food which would otherwise be disposed of and
distributes it to those in need. Foods include:
produce, meats, bakery items, prepared entrees,
eggs and milk products. By picking up and
distributing these foods, we assist with poverty
issues, feed the hungry, and prevent good food
from going to waste.
This new program, administered by Kitimat Community Services Society, seeks to assist the hungry while supporting independence and dignity for families.
It is our response to the changes our community has experienced over the past year and is a result of our combined intention to eliminate poverty for families in both Kitimat and Kitamaat Village. The Food Recovery Program seeks to assist individuals and community agencies by connecting resources available and distributing on an "as needed" basis.
This program has made it possible for us to run a Soup Kitchen...
This new program, administered by Kitimat Community Services Society, seeks to assist the hungry while supporting independence and dignity for families.
It is our response to the changes our community has experienced over the past year and is a result of our combined intention to eliminate poverty for families in both Kitimat and Kitamaat Village. The Food Recovery Program seeks to assist individuals and community agencies by connecting resources available and distributing on an "as needed" basis.
This program has made it possible for us to run a Soup Kitchen...
More Info...
YES!! there is now a Soup Kitchen in Kitimat!!! :D
Our first meal of chili and a bun was served out of the Community Kitchen at the Kitimat General Hospital on Monday November 14th from 11am to 2pm (it was planned to coincide with the Good Food Box pick up) 57 people were fed! :D
For now, are planning our next meal to once again coincide with the Good Food Box pick up in December... we are still working to confirm this... and as soon as it is confirmed this information will be posted right here... so check back.
The community response to this project has been overwhelming! It is truly amazing and wonderful. The speed at which it has all come together and come to fruition has completely blown us away. We are doing our best to figure things out as fast and as effectively as we can... so please be patient :)
Our first meal of chili and a bun was served out of the Community Kitchen at the Kitimat General Hospital on Monday November 14th from 11am to 2pm (it was planned to coincide with the Good Food Box pick up) 57 people were fed! :D
For now, are planning our next meal to once again coincide with the Good Food Box pick up in December... we are still working to confirm this... and as soon as it is confirmed this information will be posted right here... so check back.
The community response to this project has been overwhelming! It is truly amazing and wonderful. The speed at which it has all come together and come to fruition has completely blown us away. We are doing our best to figure things out as fast and as effectively as we can... so please be patient :)
The Shelley Jackson Memorial
Project is a Food Recovery Program
that safely picks up perishable food
and delivers it to the people that need it most - it is administered out of Kitimat Community Services Society.
As a tribute to a wonderful woman, mother, sister, wife, friend, teacher, mentor, and citizen, whom we dearly miss and will never forget, we have created this project: The Food Recovery Program.
Project is a Food Recovery Program
that safely picks up perishable food
and delivers it to the people that need it most - it is administered out of Kitimat Community Services Society.
As a tribute to a wonderful woman, mother, sister, wife, friend, teacher, mentor, and citizen, whom we dearly miss and will never forget, we have created this project: The Food Recovery Program.
A Program of Kitimat Community Services Society
Special Project
Kitimat Community Services Society's Helping
Hands Program evolved out of gaps that were
occurring in our community in the early 1990's. It is
more of a "philosophy" or "approach" rather than a
"program". Government funded programs whose
mandates aligned with their own service plans did
not necessary respond to our local needs. So KCSS
did, the best way we could.
We acquired a small annual grant from the provincial government which allowed KCSS staff to emerge as a Public Information and Referral Centre in the early to mid 1990s. Staff responded to needs as individuals walked through the door without advertising that any service existed. This person centered approach to our delivery of services enabled our clients to better manage their life stressors. Advocacy became one of the main areas most needed by individuals. From helping write letters to filling out government forms to acting as a third party for conflict resolution, we assisted with a wide range of issues. Providing access to a photocopier, fax machine and long distance telephoning was important for people of low income who did not have the ability or option to get this service anywhere else.
This service was mostly sought out by marginalized people or those who could not find any other options for assistance. Most situations were dealt with in one visit but occasionally multiple visits were needed depending on the complexity of the client's situation.
As KCSS evolved through its own programming and funding mandates, Helping Hands remained constant as a service we provided not only for our clients who attended our programs but to the general public as well. We are often the agency that is contacted first when people are in crisis. The Province stopped the annual grant in 2003 and KCSS has funded the program through our own fundraising efforts which included a grant from the BC Gaming Branch.
The past several years have been a challenge for KCSS to continue Helping Hands as our agency transitions through the demands placed on us by our funded programs. But we do the best we can. In early November, 2011 we attended a meeting and received information about a Food Recovery/Sharing Program occurring in Terrace and other parts of the Province. Food that is thrown out by grocery stores is recovered and distributed to people in need. KCSS took the leadership role to coordinate this program in Kitimat and we are picking up food everyday from Overwaitea and SuperValu and distributing it to the people of Kitimat who need it.
We acquired a small annual grant from the provincial government which allowed KCSS staff to emerge as a Public Information and Referral Centre in the early to mid 1990s. Staff responded to needs as individuals walked through the door without advertising that any service existed. This person centered approach to our delivery of services enabled our clients to better manage their life stressors. Advocacy became one of the main areas most needed by individuals. From helping write letters to filling out government forms to acting as a third party for conflict resolution, we assisted with a wide range of issues. Providing access to a photocopier, fax machine and long distance telephoning was important for people of low income who did not have the ability or option to get this service anywhere else.
This service was mostly sought out by marginalized people or those who could not find any other options for assistance. Most situations were dealt with in one visit but occasionally multiple visits were needed depending on the complexity of the client's situation.
As KCSS evolved through its own programming and funding mandates, Helping Hands remained constant as a service we provided not only for our clients who attended our programs but to the general public as well. We are often the agency that is contacted first when people are in crisis. The Province stopped the annual grant in 2003 and KCSS has funded the program through our own fundraising efforts which included a grant from the BC Gaming Branch.
The past several years have been a challenge for KCSS to continue Helping Hands as our agency transitions through the demands placed on us by our funded programs. But we do the best we can. In early November, 2011 we attended a meeting and received information about a Food Recovery/Sharing Program occurring in Terrace and other parts of the Province. Food that is thrown out by grocery stores is recovered and distributed to people in need. KCSS took the leadership role to coordinate this program in Kitimat and we are picking up food everyday from Overwaitea and SuperValu and distributing it to the people of Kitimat who need it.
Special thanks to Overwaitea, SuperValu, Coastal Taxi and all our wonderful volunteers!