The mission of The Creston Valley Gleaners Society is to lend a hand where most needed in the community and to treat individuals who are less fortunate with dignity and caring. By the end of 2017, Creston Valley Gleaners Society will have given back one million dollars to the Creston Valley community.
In 1984 Gleaners was founded on “gleaning” gently used articles for resale to support Creston’s local Food Bank. Since then the non-profit society has grown to include Gleaners Too, a separate building to glean, sort and resell gently used household items.
Today Gleaners, Gleaners Too and the Gleaners Food Bank is run by a team of dedicated volunteers that start at 6 am every morning, Monday through Friday in the three separate buildings that the Creston Valley Gleaners Society owns. Each building is a constant buzz of activity with volunteers sorting, cleaning and mending gently used items getting them ready for sale.
The Creston Valley Gleaners Society wouldn’t be a success without their dedicated team of volunteers who work three to forty hours a week with some volunteers working with Gleaners society for over 20 years.
While the Gleaners Food Bank is the first priority for the Creston Valley Gleaners Society, Gleaners disburses funds directly back into various Creston Valley social programs in the Creston Valley area.
The following social programs include:
- Creston Valley Hospice Society
- Kootenay Region Association for Community Living (Spectrum Farms)
- Creston Valley Community Housing Society
- Creston Valley Ministerial Assoc. Programs
- United Church Lunch Program
- Valley Community Services
- Prince Charles Senior Secondary Bursaries/ programs
- Boys and Girls Retreat
- CDSCL Therapeutic Riding Program
- Cresteramics Society for the Handicapped
- “Be the Change” Student program
- East Kootenay Community College Bursaries
- Music Bursary
- Elementary School Lunch and Equity Programs
- Therapeutic Activities Program for Seniors – TAPS
- Pregnancy Outreach
- Little Chefs
- Interior Health
- Refugee Program
The Creston Valley is extremely fortunate and proud of the Creston Valley Gleaners Society and the volunteers that make it all happen.