Benefiting local Salvation Army food programs through the EKC Endowment Fund

What happens when you mix delicious eats from local food trucks, great live music with a maritime flair from Barry Graham, and a chance to contribute to a great cause? – the fifth annual Our Hometown for Hunger event!

Thanks to the generosity of the local community, Our Hometown for Hunger 2019 raised over $4,400. These funds will be permanently invested in the East Kootenay Community Credit Union (EKC) Endowment Fund, which is held by the Community Foundation of the Kootenay Rockies. This fund provides a grant, every year, forever, to support Salvation Army food programs in Cranbrook. The 2019 grant to the Salvation Army totalled over $600.

Denham Ford’s Steve Zsillei and B-104/The Drive’s Sarah Letawsky spearheaded this annual community event, which was held on August 12.

Denham Ford and East Kootenay Community Credit Union each generously matched donations up to $1,000. In addition, East Kootenay Community Credit Union (EKC) provided a $500 GIC as a draw prize. Other local businesses, including Caliper Machine & Hydraulics, White Storm Enterprises, Trimline Cranbrook, and the Sandman Inn also made donations totalling almost $700. The food trucks in attendance were very generous, donating over $1,000. Individual donations totalled nearly $700.

Donations to this fund are welcome throughout the year. To donate online, please use this link.

“Denham Ford believes in supporting our community over the long-term. By building this endowment, we’re helping to provide a grant, every year, forever, to our local Salvation Army food programs. A huge ‘thank you’ to everybody who came out for lunch as well as all the food vendors and volunteers,” said Steve Zsillei.

According to Nancy Lemire, Salvation Army Community Ministries Coordinator, “Every year, we serve 24,000 school lunches and 13,000 community meals. The annual grant from the EKC Endowment Fund provides us with dependable, predictable funding to support our food programs. Feeding hungry people is very important to us, and, as shown by this event, it is also important to our community. Thank you so very much to everyone involved with Our Hometown for Hunger!”

Mr. Mike’s, Dominos Pizza, The Chopstick Truck, Mama’s Dumplings, Frybread for Fun$, and Wicked Weenies provided a scrumptious smorgasbord of food truck delights at the event.

According to Mindy Atti, East Kootenay Community Credit Union Cranbrook Branch Manager, “EKC believes in supporting the long-term success of our community. Jean-Ann Debreceni, our current EKC Board Chair, played a key role in establishing the EKC Endowment Fund in 2004, to support local Salvation Army food programs. EKC’s initial donation of $10,000 has grown to over $35,000 in permanently invested funds, thanks to the Our Hometown for Hunger events as well as additional donations from EKC.”

Lynnette Wray, Community Foundation of the Kootenay Rockies Executive Director, shared her sincere appreciation: “Our heartfelt thanks to Denham Ford, B-104/The Drive, and East Kootenay Community Credit Union for developing this into one of the fun, charitable events we look forward to in our community. Special thanks to Barry Graham for providing such great live music. Thank you to all of our donors and of course our wonderful food vendors.”

Established in 2003 as a federally incorporated not-for-profit and a CRA-registered charity, the Community Foundation of the Kootenay Rockies (CFKR) is governed by a 13-member, volunteer Board of Directors and employs one staff person. CFKR holds a total of approximately $2.5 million in 37 permanently invested funds, which provide grants to local non-profits, every year, forever. Since its first community grants in 2004, the Community Foundation has shared almost $500,000 with local projects and programs in our communities.

To join the Community Foundation of the Kootenay Rockies in building this permanent “nest egg” for our community, please visit our website (www.CFKRockies.ca), like/follow/share our Facebook page and contact Lynnette Wray, Executive Director, by phone (250-426-1119) or email ([email protected]).

 

See more images of the event.

Lead image: The grant is presented to Salvation Army:  Left to right, Jean-Ann Debreceni (EKC Board Chair), Major Ginny Kristensen (Salvation Army Cranbrook), Dave Struthers (CFKR Past-President), Nancy Lemire (Salvation Army Cranbrook), and Carol Hatala (CFKR Vice-President). Photos submitted

Community Foundation of the Kootenay Rockies

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