Connecting with the Coquitlam community
For Chloe Finn, a FortisBC community relations liaison, having the opportunity to participate in this local holiday event is a great way to strengthen her relationship with the people she already engages through EGP Project activities. “The luncheon supports two great Coquitlam charities at a time of year that can be hard for many people in the community. We’re honoured to be able to help.”
For the last four years, FortisBC has been the warmth sponsor for the luncheon. Chloe, along with FortisBC community relations manager Amber Sadgrove attended the event this year and helped collect donations for the SHARE Food Bank. The charity provides direct food support to about 5,000 people each month in the Tri-Cities. “The food drive is so important to me,” said Chloe. “I know a lot of people are struggling to afford necessities right now, including food. I’m proud that FortisBC recognizes the need in the community and is stepping up to help raise donations for the SHARE Food Bank.”
SHARE Food Bank food drive
This year, the food drive collected more than 215 pounds of food to help families in need. “Local food and fundraising drives go a long way to help people in the Tri-Cities,” said Claire MacLean, the chief executive officer of SHARE Family & Community Services. “Every week we have new folks registering and it really isn’t showing any signs of decline. That makes sense given all these pressures folks are facing, particularly with the cost-of-living crisis. It’s just a steady climb.”
Food banks right across the province are grappling with surging demand. SHARE expects to serve about 20 percent more people this year than in 2023. The rising cost of living is forcing more families to seek out services to survive. Claire said she’s noticed a disturbing trend in 2024, “Families are now arriving where both parents are working. We’ve always served single parent families, families where only one parent is employed, but to now be serving families where both parents are working, they’re working hard, they’re doing everything they can to make ends meet and it still isn’t enough.”
Support from local businesses is crucial for organizations like SHARE. “I can’t say enough about groups like FortisBC who keep coming back,” said Claire. “It allows us as an organization to plan and count on that support and really make sure we’re being proactive in the services we can promise the community, so it’s incredibly beneficial for the folks we serve, and it’s a real testament to the quality of character of FortisBC.”
Learn more about the SHARE Food Bank and how you can help.
