With a goal in mind of raising $10,000, the Chilliwack Optimist Club beat all expectations at this year's Feed the Children Auction by raising $11,425 in cash and receiving a donation of a van bringing the total income to more than $26,000.
Well done Chilliwack Optimists!
The auction is the primary fundraiser for the Feed the Children Program adopted by the Chilliwack Optimist Club five years ago. Approximately 500 children at 12 schools receive free lunches with the program. According to Optimist Club president Irene Wesenberg, the club started the program with a $750 donation and have increased their giving each year reaching $10,000 for the first time in 2009.
The Feed the Children Program meets a need in the community, serving children who would otherwise arrive at school hungry. According to the Chilliwack Optimist Club, the program also meets one of the purposes of Optimist International: To aid and encourage the development of youth in the belief that giving oneself in service to others will advance the well-being of humankind, community life and the world.
The program uses volunteers and school staff to deliver the meals. Community partners help with gathering the supplies and preparing the food. It is a community effort and the Optimist Club is leading the way.
Read more in the Chilliwack Times.
