You might be wondering why I am talking about Christmas in July.

Perhaps you are wondering if this is a ploy to get you out there shopping for the perfect gift for great-aunt Sue, instead of the usual pet-store gift certificate for her five cats.

On one hand, you would be right.

The spirit of giving does seem stronger in the cold winter hours around Christmas, but I am hoping to rekindle that feeling in the mid-summer heat.

For the month of July, the Kamloops Food Bank is holding its annual Christmas

in July fundraising event.

The food bank was started in 1981 by Hank Woodland in the basement of the United Church.

It was incorporated in 1988 and became the Kamloops Food Bank and Outreach Society.

For 28 years, the food bank has been serving our community.

The food bank has been successful in increasing its ability to meet the growing needs of the community through the FoodShare Recovery program.

FoodShare is a perishable food-recovery program that collects and shares food that would otherwise end up in landfills.

The FoodShare truck runs seven days a week, collecting donations from local supporters.

The food is then distributed not only to food bank clients, but also to more than 43 local schools and agencies.

 In the last three years, almost one-million pounds of fruits, vegetables, bakery, dairy

and meat items were recovered through FoodShare.

Produce that is unable to be used through FoodShare is bought by local farmers to use as pig feed and compost instead of being thrown out.

But FoodShare is not the magic bullet.

In 2009, there was an increase of more than 1,100 new clients to the food bank.

Thirty-five per cent of its clients are children.

If you are interested in gifting your time, your money or your excess food, there are several ways to get involved.

Financial ways you can help include buying a $2 B.C. Share coupon at your grocery store or making a donation online at kamloopsfoodbank.ca.

Tax receipts will be given for donations over $10.

You can make a food donation at your grocery store, the food bank or retail outlets of Canada Post.

The most-needed items include canned fish and poultry, canned stew, chili, brown beans, canned vegetables or fruit, baby food and formula, peanut butter, dry pasta, rice, canned spaghetti sauce, cereal and canned soup.

Volunteering is a wonderful way to give to the food bank or, if you have planted an extra row of vegetables or have a fruit tree that needs to be picked, you can access the Food Bank Gleaning Project.

Call 250-376-2252 for more information.

Alexis Blueschke is a registered dietitian with the Interior Health Authority. To comment, e-mail editor@

kamloopsthisweek.com.