Sunday, Nov. 18 marks the one-year anniversary of Sunday Sandwiches, a grassroots initiative aimed at feeding the hungry on Sundays when the food bank is closed.
The group began last November after a conversation was started on Sarah Ward’s “Stand Up Cowichan” Facebook Page about what the area’s homeless population does on Sundays.
Volunteers rallied, and Sunday Sandwiches was born.
“When we first started we were getting maybe 10 people coming to get sandwiches,” recalled organizer Cheryl Lee. “Now, on some weeks we are getting up to 120. It’s kind of scary how many. I know there must be a huge amount of people out there who need it.
Despite the name, it’s not always sandwiches, it’s sometimes a wrap. It’s also water and juice and fruit and whatever else gets donated.
The effort is appreciated.
“A lot of them are super thankful and they really appreciate us being out there,” Lee said. “I know they don’t have anywhere to go on Sundays.”
Cowichan Valley Basket Society manager Colleen Fuller had high praise for the program, which takes some pressure off her group each weekend. “It is an absolutely wonderful, wonderful community driven initiative and it really really helps the folks who had nowhere to eat on Sundays,” Fuller said. “I just can’t say enough about the girls.”
Lee said there are 250 members of the Sunday Sandwiches Facebook group but roughly 50 have been active.
“We have a lot of regular supporters and I really don’t want to wear them out,” she said. “I’m looking for more helpers.”
Sunday will be a bit of a bittersweet occasion.
“It’s a sad thing to celebrate,” Lee said. “It’s sad that we’re having to be out there and doing this to help but at the same time we’ve made it a year and we’re out there every week.”
The group does plan on continuing with feeding the hungry on Sundays.
“I’m hoping that it can continue as long as it’s needed,” Lee said.
To help out search “Sunday Sandwiches” on Facebook or head to the tent outside Bike Works at 51 Trunk Rd. on Sundays between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.
sarah.simpson@cowichanvalleycitizen.com
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