Community Helping Community: 'Cause We Can Comes to Oyama
Updated: Sep 10
The Oyama Community Club is very proud to have opened our doors to the Lake Country Food Bank, local volunteers and the 'Cause We Can program — and even more proud that they’ve continued to return to our hall for multiple sessions.
On 'Cause We Can days, our kitchen gets busy! Boxes of fresh local fruit come through the doors, volunteers work side by side washing, chopping and prepping, and jars start filling up.
All of that work has one important purpose: preparing nourishing, shelf-stable food to help support individuals, families and communities affected by the wildfires across BC this summer.
It’s been pretty special to see this work happening right here in our hall — and to know that our space can continue to play a part in it.
What is 'Cause We Can?
'Cause We Can is a program by the Lake Country Food Bank that brings together, local growers, chefs and community volunteers to batch and preserve fruits and vegetables.
This summer's wildfires have impacted communities throughout British Columbia, and this initiative is one practical way to help. The food prepared and preserved through 'Cause We Can can be distributed to those affected by the fires, providing wholesome, ready-to-use food at a time when a little extra support can mean a lot.
It's an idea that makes a lot of sense, especially here in the Okanagan.
We have generous growers and gardeners, people willing to lend a hand, and commercial kitchens like ours that can be put to good use.
Bring those things together and suddenly extra fruit or vegetables can become jars of food ready to help someone who needs them.
Putting Our Community Hall to Work
At the OCC, we talk a lot about the importance of having spaces where our community can gather. This day was a great reminder that gathering can look like a lot of different things.
Sometimes it's a community event or celebration. Sometimes it's a meeting. And sometimes it's a kitchen full of people chopping fruit and filling jars.
The Oyama Community Club is honoured to donate the ongoing use of our commercial kitchen and facilities for 'Cause We Can sessions, giving the Lake Country Food Bank and its volunteers a space to roll up their sleeves and turn local generosity into something tangible..
A Big Thank You to the Lake Country Food Bank
We also want to give a huge thank you to Joy and the team at the Lake Country Food Bank.
We see the impact the Food Bank has here in Lake Country, but their work and generosity extend well beyond our own community. Through initiatives like 'Cause We Can, they're able to bring people and resources together to support communities across BC — including those dealing with the impacts of this summer's wildfires.
A lot goes into making each of these sessions happen before the first volunteer ever walks through the door, and we’re grateful to Joy and her team for continuing to take it on.
And, of course, thank you to the volunteers who showed up ready to work and to everyone who contributed produce, jars, funds and other supplies.
It really does take a lot of hands.
Want to Get Involved?
The work continues, and there will be more opportunities to get involved with upcoming 'Cause We Can sessions.
Volunteering in the kitchen is only one way to help.
Have more zucchini than you know what to do with? A fruit tree that's producing faster than you can pick it?
Extra Mason jars sitting in the garage?
Those things can be useful!
You can:
Donate extra garden vegetables or orchard fruit
Donate Mason jars
Register to volunteer at a future session
Make a financial contribution
If you've been wondering how you can help people affected by the wildfires in BC this summer, this is one very tangible way to do it.
Visit the Lake Country Food Bank to learn what's currently needed and how you can get involved:
Community Helping Community
There's something pretty special about seeing our community hall filled with people working together for neighbours they may never even meet.
To Joy, the Lake Country Food Bank team, the volunteers, growers, gardeners, donors and everyone else who played a part in the day — thank you.
We're honoured that our hall in Oyama could be part of it, and we hope this is just one of many opportunities to put our space to work for a good cause.
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