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SSVP Our Lady of Guadalupe Conference, Campbell River – Gold River Food Security Project

olg campbell river

A North Island SSVP Food Security Project Success Story… The Gold River Food Network

The Gold River Food Network has evolved from its early beginnings with SSVP to a full Food Bank type Operation, with an expansion of donations and financial support coming from community businesses and organizations and through grant funding.  Its Coordinator – Marcie Carlsen is doing amazing work, along with her team of volunteers, and the future looks very promising for the continuing of their operation in Gold River.  Our support of the Gold River Food Security Project has gone from a Hand Out to a Hand Up.

Thanks be to God!

olg truck laoves and fishes
For the past 4 years, Loaves and Fishes' 5-tonne refrigerated truck has provided the SSVP - Our Lady of Guadalupe Conference with a free transport service to remote communities on the North Island.

We continue to support the Gold River Food Network with donations of dog/cat food, compliments of the BC SPCA (Campbell River and Comox branches). Pet food is in high demand for the dozens of pets, whose owners are on low-income assistance in this community and on the Tsaxana First Nations reserve, just outside of Gold River.

Paul Bertrand, former President and now VP of Our Lady of Guadalupe Conference is our “King of the North”, having started up these projects, and managing them since 2017 to present.

Sheila Keats, President and Paul Bertrand, Vice President
Our Lady of Guadalupe Conference, Campbell River
Society of Saint Vincent de Paul of Vancouver Island

truck loading campbell river bc
Truck loading in Campbell River.
food inside building campbell river bc
Food received and ready to be sorted and distributed by Gold River volunteers (a group of women from the Seniors Reverler's Club).

DID YOU KNOW…

  • The village of Gold River had been hit with a plague of economic hardships.

The closure of the pulp mill, their supermarket and then the long forestry strike resulted in a struggling economy.   A shake and shingle mill opened up and was in full operation several years, but also suffered financial hardship.  Layoffs began happening in late 2023. 

  • During the Forestry strike the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul brought Save on Foods Gift cards to Gold River and with the help of a VIHA Social Worker, distributed them to households and individuals in need. This was the beginning of what was to evolve into a food security project in early 2020.
  • In the beginning, the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul’s donations of purchased canned and packaged goods, donated food and pet food were stored in the home of a Society member. Pick-up trucks picked up from this home and delivered monthly to a section of the library building in Gold River, where unloading, sorting and distribution took place, through the work of Reveler Senior Club volunteers and high school volunteers.
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  • In 2021 Loaves and Fishes Food Bank (based out of Nanaimo) came on board with trucking, and contributions of non-perishables, perishables, household and personal items
  • Working in partnership with Loaves and Fishes, SSVP switched over to providing monthly purchases of high protein, fresh, frozen meats, peanut butter and canned fish
  • The Gold River Food Network was established in 2021. With ongoing, continued support from Loaves and Fishes and with additional partnerships and financial supporters, the Gold River Food Network is now operating like a Food Bank, and more self-sufficiently.  From “HAND OUT” to “HAND UP” The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul has been there, from the beginning. 
  • Saint Vincent de Paul’s Food Security Project is now in its 5th We continue to support the Food Network with donations of pet food from the BC SPCA’s food bank, peanut butter and canned fish.  We stepped back with financial funding in March of 2024.
olg campbell river

To learn more about the work of our Society on Vancouver Island, visit us at: www.ssvpvancouverisland.ca

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