Two local heroes have been highlighted for their dedication to serving others at the Central Okanagan Food Bank (COFB).
Kelowna residents Warren and Donna Grasdal recently got the opportunity to travel to Lower Mainland to see the Vancouver Canucks play.
They were honoured at the match as part of the BCLC Community Heroes segment, as they cranked the game horn to get the crowd cheering.
Warren and Donna were chosen because of their “tireless dedication” to the COFB mission.
Collectively, the two have volunteered over 3,600 hours at the food bank since 2022 doing a variety of tasks from sorting food, to creating food hampers and even delivering baskets to partners and community members.
“We were very involved in the community where we previously lived (in Alberta), and when we relocated to Kelowna, we started looking into different opportunities to meet new people and get involved in the community. The COFB was a perfect fit,” said Warren.
Donna said her favourite task is creating hampers for people with dietary restrictions.
“People with dietary restrictions aren’t always able to receive everything on their wish list so it’s wonderful to be able to put a note in their box if we were able to provide them with a speciality item that we know they will appreciate,” Donna said. “We’ve heard feedback from staff that clients have actually called in to express their gratitude and said they felt like their hamper was built just for them – that feedback is really special.”
“We genuinely care about going the extra mile and putting care into the work we do,” said Warren. “It’s great to be somewhere where you feel like you’ve really made an impact on someone’s life. We are treated like family here. It’s a really special place to be.”
The staff at COFB shared their gratitude for having Warren and Donna.
“It means the world to us at COFB to have such dedicated volunteers like Warren and Donna. From the time they arrive at 6am to get to work, they are fully present, patient, organized and committed to their community,” said Arella Hordyk, communications coordinator. “We are beyond grateful for their support, hard work, and the way they advocate for COFB and our clients.”
To find out more about BCLC’s Community Hero Program or to nominate a hero, click the link here.