The STAR 98.3 Community Impact Spotlight is proudly sponsored by Mark’s Chilliwack, Valley Toyota, Sabrina Vandenbrink Personal Real Estate Corporation and Johnston’s Pork.
The STAR 98.3 Community Impact Spotlight for March is The Free Store Chilliwack.
The Free Store Chilliwack is a registered non-profit that has been running since 2019! Started by Raylene Mumford and her strong team, it continues to grow! They currently borrow spaces and give out hampers each weekend that they put together, sorting food and ensuring that nothing goes to waste! They work with local farmers to ensure they are under 2% waste! Reusing and rescuing food to ensure it all gets used, cutting down the waste and landfill while providing many families in desperate need of support.
Currently, The Free Store Chilliwack support 3600 families, feeding approximately a staggering 21,634 people in Chilliwack a year! Out of the 3600 families, 1600 are seniors and or those struggling way under poverty level. They also serve “run-aways,” families fleeing domestics and middle class families hit hard by financial crises (job loss, or life changes) that cause a significant deficit in their families. Life happens, and the Free Store team really does whatever they can do to help support families, people and community members in need.
Despite working on zero funding, and a 100% volunteer base, they are so lucky to work with so many public and private donors, and the Free Store with these incredible partnerships is able to give out over $600,000 worth of items with over half of that being fresh food and groceries!
They have been able to do more than just food, including initiatives such as a “grad pop up event,” sourcing over $264,000 worth of grad gowns, suits, shoes, purses, jewelry and attire, the 123 Read to Me family literature event, helping folks get their Serving it Right, First Aid and vehicles behind the scenes, and more.