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Saanich grocery store serves up chili for fundraiser

A local grocery store served delicious chili to warm the stomach and help a good cause Wednesday.
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A local grocery store served delicious chili to warm the stomach and help a good cause Wednesday.

The event outside Country Grocer Royal Oak raised funds for annual Tonne of Love campaign organized by the Odd Fellows Columbia Lodge for Christmas hampers distributed Mustard Seed. Country grocer Michael Williams prepared a special Indian-style chili for the occasion.

“Our goal is to once again to provide fresh nutritious food to each registered family with the Mustard Seed [Church and Food Bank] over the holidays, as well as, extend the ‘Tonne of Love’ [program] to add more fresh food in their year long monthly hampers,” said Josh Miller, financial secretary, with Odd Fellows Columbia Lodge No. 2

The ‘Tonne of Love’ program started eight years ago with a few Odd Fellows trying to donate 2000 pounds of non- perishable food to the Mustard Seed at Christmas. It has now become a $20,000 donation of fresh food for the Christmas Hamper program where over 300 families depend on for their holiday meals.

Residents can make donations until December 10th at Esquimalt and Royal Oak Country Grocer locations and on the Mustard Seed website. Country Grocer will be matching funds up to a maximum of $3000.



Wolf Depner

About the Author: Wolf Depner

I joined the national team with Black Press Media in 2023 from the Peninsula News Review, where I had reported on Vancouver Island's Saanich Peninsula since 2019.
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