The Ladysmith Resource Centre Association is launching a ‘fruit rescue’ project to make sure extra food grown is shared within the community.
Residents who need help harvesting fruit trees or gardens in and around Ladysmith are invited to sign up for the program, where volunteer harvesters will schedule dates to come pick homegrown fruits and veggies.
After each harvest, one-third of what is collected will go to the owner, one-third will be shared with the volunteers and the other third will be distributed to the LRCA food bank and other partner organizations.
READ MORE: Hundreds of Ladysmith residents rely on food bank
“There are so many benefits from a project like this. The most obvious one is that fresh, locally grown food will be eaten instead of potentially wasted,” said fruit rescue co-ordinator Shannon Crowards, in a news release. “Plus there is a wonderful social aspect to people coming together outside, meeting new people and picking the fruit, as well as the added value of community organizations sharing food with participants in programs they offer.”
The project will be supported by the Town of Ladysmith as part of the CommUnity Together to End Poverty Hw-nuts’-ulwum poverty reduction strategy, and will be funded with a $50,000 Union of B.C. Municipalities grant the town received last year.
Those looking to volunteer or sign up to have their crops harvested can call 250-245-3079 or e-mail shannon@lrca.ca.
bailey.seymour@nanaimobulletin.com
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