True leadership is measured by stability during a storm.
Local organizations in Penticton have mastered it in a matter of days after taking in thousands of wildfire evacuees from the Summerland area.
The Penticton Sikh Temple and the Elks Lodge are preparing and distributing hundreds of meals and essentials to families who need a helping hand.
Sikh Member Jarnail Gill told Vista Radio after springing into action on Saturday, it’s been a lot of 12 to 14 hour days to make sure everyone gets fed.
“We are trying to make pastas and some salads and some balanced foods so they can have healthy meals.”
Penticton’s Sikh Temple has been burning the midnight oil serving up to 2,000 meals per day while getting numerous financial donations to help get the supplies needed daily.
“We aren’t always getting large amounts. Sometimes it’s twenty dollars, fifty dollars, ten dollars, and by the end of the day it all adds up. We don’t need to think about how we are going to buy this, how we are going to do this – everything is going very smoothly.”
“It’s been balancing really good since yesterday (Tuesday). We are getting a lot of food and veggies from the farm. This will help us to increase our ability a little more because produce is very expensive in the stores. We don’t need a couple of pounds, we need a couple hundred pounds of each item, every day,” added Gill.
Gill mentioned with the system now in place; they are looking to expand by providing a lot more essential everyday items that people use.
“We are trying to get some brushes, toothpaste and items ladies need for their periods and if the pads are available. We are trying to do as much as possible.”
“With the stuff we have, we want to help more and more. We want to make sure nobody sleeps hungry.”
Inside the kitchen, the air is often thick with the smell of fresh lentil stew, rice, butter chicken, and other traditional bites.
For those unable to make it to the Sikh Temple’s location on 3290 South Main Street, a buffet meal is also being offered at Match Public House and Eatery adjacent to the casino.
Gill along with Ravinder Singh Bains and Rajinder Singh Kalar also provide a delivery option for evacuees unable to travel or come in person.
The Elks Lodge 51, located at 343 Ellis Street, kicked it into high gear during last weekend’s Penticton Peach Festival where their annual pancake breakfast done outdoors had to be moved indoors due to the Penticton Trade Convention Centre where all the evacuees were being housed.
Once attendees got fed, the group started making sandwiches as the Real Canadian Superstore donated 600 buns plus some deli meats while Tony’s Meats donated a full tray of roast beef.
Canteen manager Deborah Sayese was credited with leading the charge and sifting through all the sudden chaos, which included long lines.
While a lot of people haven’t physically stopped by the Elks Lodge, the group has been busy running meals to the convention centre for those who need it.
“We were taking the food out to them and then the convention centre was sending it out through their kitchen. They couldn’t handle 12,000 people obviously and we just kept taking food over there.”
“We have had some since come here (to the lodge) to serve people who are in wheelchairs and are very appreciative and had nothing but good things to say about Penticton. As of yesterday (Tuesday), a lot of the restaurants have opened up for free meals since Sunday.”
The Elks Lodge has also been taking over food to Bethel Church, which is driving around to the parking lots and bringing it to people in trailers and mobile homes.
Sayese added while she was handing out food, there were local pizza places and other stores encouraging evacuees to take their food at no charge.
The Bald Range wildfire grew slightly to 184 square kilometres in size as of today, an area larger than the City of Vancouver.
Something going on in the Nechako Valley area you think people should know about?
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