Skip to content

Okanagan outreach ‘swamped’ trying to help all

All Are Family Outreach hoping to raise $5,000 to get them through first six months of 2023
31329546_web1_221222-VMS-All-Are-Family-1_2
All Are Family Outreach Society is in need of funds from the community to support its operations in 2023. (Submitted photo)

An Okanagan outreach society is in need of financial help as it looks ahead to 2023.

All Are Family Outreach Society founder Clary Lausnes says food donations have been coming in strong this Christmas season, but the society needs financial donations to maintain operations in 2023.

The small outreach society is unaffiliated with any other group and helps families and individuals in need from Armstrong to Kelowna.

“We basically do everything except rent houses,” Lausnes said. “All this requires funding, and I know it’s a tough year for all the charities but it’s easier for the bigger charities because they put money into advertising and we don’t. Every penny that comes in to us goes directly into helping people.”

The society has raised about $5,000 during this Christmas season, and Lausnes said she would like the society to raise at least another $5,000 before too long into 2023.

“That’s bare bones operations for us, that doesn’t account for any emergencies coming in or anything like that, but it would be really nice for us to be able to just focus on helping people instead of wondering if next month might be the month we have to close down because we don’t have the funds,” she said.

The need is great this year and Lausnes says the small team is “swamped,” and they’re seeing people coming to them from other organizations that have had to turn people away.

“We have people coming over from them that thought they were going to get hampers but they’ve just run out of support over at those other (organizations),” she said. “We’re the only people still open as far as I know.”

Anyone able and willing to donate can contact Lausnes by email at aafoutreach@hotmail.com, or by phone at 250-503-4983.

READ MORE: Live music at Vernon venue to benefit outreach clinic

READ MORE: Multiple overdoses, syringes in neighbourhood falls on shoulders of concerned Kelowna woman


Brendan Shykora
Follow us: Facebook | Twitter


Brendan Shykora

About the Author: Brendan Shykora

I started as a carrier at the age of 8. In 2019 graduated from the Master of Journalism program at Carleton University.
Read more