express on line – www.expressnews.ca August 7, 2002 EXPRESS Page 3 Food bank stats up HE LVATION by Charles Jeanes The Nelson food bank, open five days a week and operated by the Salvation Army on Vernon St., is feeding people at a rate three times greater than last year in June, Major Ed Ostrom revealed last week. The June statistic for 2001 was 198 people visiting the food bank, he said, and in June this year the number soared to 654. The number for the April-May period this year was almost two and a half times that of last year. “People who used to support the food bank with donations now come and use it,” said Ostrom. He gave an example of a man laid off from a forestry job in March due to economic factors who used to give food to the Salvation Army and now depends on it to feed his fam- ARMY .. ily because he cannot qualify for welfare and federal employment insurance pays only his mortgage and other home bills. The United Church food bank, open three mornings a week, also reports a big jump in numbers. Tim Powell, the food cupboard coordinator, cited user numbers for April, Major Ed Ostrom of the Salvation Army emphasizes the need for donations to the Food Bank. NELSON BECKER May and June this year that are four times that for the same period last year. Powell said there has been a large less and unemployed and use the food supplies, at mertime and – who’s to say? – are they just coming to increase since the changes to BC Benefits, the province’s the expense of people who want to work but can’t town and taking advantage of it?” welfare program. and really need the food,” said Dooley. “For example in “There are always more people in summer – I expect Nora Nitz, coordinator at the St. Saviour’s Anglican the report on homelessness [a report Nelson Council the number will fall to around 300 from 600 in the fall, food cupboard, open one morning per week, says the received] you see a lot of males aged 18 to 35. Why do said Ostrom. “Nelson is especially a place people are number of people using the food provided there has eas- they come here? It’s obvious if you’re looking for work attracted to. They hear about Nelson on the grapevine. ily doubled. Since last fall, the food cupboard has been you don’t come to the Kootenays; we have very high Even though the highway does not come straight here for forced to close sometimes due to lack of food. She also unemployment. These guys are looking for a hand-out, someone going to the Okanagan or Vancouver to work, noted there are more “homeless street children” now. not a hand up.” you go here anyway because you want to be here.” While the food banks do not have strict rules for Ostrom recently told Nelson-Creston MLA Blair Ostrom gave the example of a Quebec man enroute people using them, Councillor John Dooley questioned Suffredine about the big jump in numbers using the food to a picking job in the Okanagan who came to Nelson to the high nu7mbers of food bank users and unemployed, bank. “We passed this on to Blair. He needs to know this wait for his job to start in the orchards. “I asked him, ‘Why homeless people. “I’d like to know the demographics. too,” Ostrom said. Nelson?’ He said, ‘Because I heard it’s a good place to be.’ ” How many are homeless and able-bodied, able to work? “The hard part is tracking and counting people who Powell said there is a coordinated central organ for food The main concern I have is many people [who are] use the food banks, why they come and from where,” said distribution called The Food Coalition which includes the more than capable of work are choosing to be home- Suffredine. “You have to wonder if it’s because it’s sum- United Church, Anglican Church, the Advocacy Centre, Arrow Lake Ferry schedule The Upper Arrow Lake ferry will have two extra sail- ings per day starting this Tuesday, Aug. 6, and service will return to departures on the hour and half-hour. Bringing change to light. The new daily schedule will see departures from Shelter Bay every hour on the hour from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. As one door closes, others open. Departures from Galena will occur every hour on the half-hour from 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Because there will Ou- w; an•r smfo• olfues tu.e clos«I, Ou- tdl- h,e runber 3:1.0-IURI (:I.M473), makes ge tlrg in b:u,h Y,; h i,; easier Im, r,ier, no longer be a break in service during the afternoon shift change, there will be two more sailings per day. The schedule changes are in response to feedback from ferry users who urged the Ministry to return to service on the hour and half-hour and eliminate the afternoon break in service. Since May 15, the ferry service has been operating 17 hours a day with a break in service from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. The main vessel on the route, the DEV Galena, will have 18 round-trip sailings a day under the new schedule. COLUMBIA BAS IN TRUST alrg,uy /Or the peoplt' CALL FOR PROJECT SUBMISSIONS & NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING Columbia Basin Trust S"l'iy"'l , .,friordy"'- ,...,;., " I ' - tolir« ,t ?10-'MRE (3!09171 l'illl ~~"" •ooo.t fwp, til i',ilirio,, •lodrio,i Community Funding Program iemer~~. rie:1,1, OO'Hte:dioM, m&r ~ :! l,fo~, ,:ir ~ yortkr (1.l~M 'falJ rn :i:11 Ml"-:. Electoral Area ‘F’ is accepting proposals for funding consider- ation from the Community Initiatives Program sponsored by the ~ 1)'>" bib by p, .. \d\«i«d P"!""rt, >t )'l'J' bull, >t ' "of''" d-,voox ~"'°"''• or by rml (d>o~• or """"I ,~, «>',-)to: Columbia Basin Trust. Funding is to be used for new initiatives or m•b-«ls, C,,.•hlid., P.C\ B:« '570.~oo M, CW,,1,!t•rt•. ra>~. the enhancement of existing programs and must conform to the goals and objectives of the Columbia Basin Management Plan. Application packages are available at: RDCK, 202 Lakeside Drive, Nelson, BC, or our web site: www.rdck.bc.ca or Phone: Audrey WWW.ilq II llil notwor1's .c.i MacKenzie, RDCK @ 352-8165. Applications will also be available at the meeting. fl: