True leadership is measured by stability during a storm.
Local organizations in Penticton have demonstrated it in a matter of days after taking in thousands of wildfire evacuees from the Summerland area.
The Penticton Sikh Temple and Elks Lodge are preparing and distributing hundreds of meals and essential items to families who need help.
Sikh temple member Jarnail Gill told Vista Radio that since springing into action Saturday, volunteers have been working 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.”
The Penticton Sikh Temple has been working around the clock, serving up to 2,000 meals a day while receiving financial donations to help buy supplies.
“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 dishes.
For those unable to make it to the Sikh temple at 3290 South Main St., a buffet meal is also being offered at Match Public House & Eatery next to the casino.
Gill, along with Ravinder Singh Bains and Rajinder Singh Kalar, also provides a delivery option for evacuees unable to travel to the temple.
Elks Lodge No. 51, at 343 Ellis St., kicked into high gear during the previous weekend’s Penticton Peach Festival. Its annual outdoor pancake breakfast had to be moved indoors as the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre was being used to accommodate evacuees.
Once attendees had been fed, the group started making sandwiches. Real Canadian Superstore donated 600 buns and deli meat while Tony’s Meats donated a full tray of roast beef.
Canteen manager Deborah Sayese was credited with leading the effort amid the sudden influx of people, which included long lineups.
Although many evacuees haven’t visited the Elks Lodge, the group has been busy delivering meals to the convention centre.
“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 food to Bethel Church, which has been delivering it to people staying in trailers and motorhomes in parking lots.
Sayese said that while she was handing out food, local pizza restaurants and other businesses were also encouraging evacuees to take food at no charge.
The Bald Range wildfire had grown slightly to 184 square kilometres, according to the original report, an area larger than the City of Vancouver.
