One by one, Sharon Harvey called on members of the Cherryville Community Food and Resource Society to join her front and centre at an award ceremony in the small rural North Okanagan community Saturday, Aug. 9.
The event was for her 鈥� Harvey was honoured with the prestigious King Charles III Coronation Medal for her tireless work as the founder and president of the food bank and resource centre. But she wanted to make sure that each and every one of the people who make the centre a success was recognized alongside her.
In all, Harvey called the names of more than 30 individuals, from her fellow board members to her husband Morgan 鈥� who she said has donated "countless hours" to the centre 鈥� to her grant writer, summer camp workers and the drivers who make sure food gets delivered on schedule.
In sharing the honours, Harvey aimed to demonstrate how much running the service comes down to a team effort.
"It isn't something I've done," she told The Morning Star after she'd accepted the little silver medal, awarded to roughly 20,000 civilians across Canada since 2023. "God gave me a passion for helping people, but it takes people to help people."
The food bank's numbers are substantial, putting out about 2,000 pounds of food per week. Outside the food bank's doors is a fridge where people can take what they please at any time, without the fear of stigma that often comes from popping into a food bank during regular hours. That fridge alone sees an additional 500 pounds of food go through it per week.
The food bank and resource centre was celebrating its 15th anniversary as its own non-profit at Saturday's event, though its roots go back much farther than that.
It was in 1969 that the Cherryville Gospel Church and its pastor started a Christmas hamper program, a service then provided for shut-ins or those with disabilities. When the pastor died, Harvey and her sister-in-law picked up the torch.
"We filled that space. And then in 2003, we noticed that people were going to the next community to get food hampers. And so then I thought, I can cover that need," Harvey said.
By 2008 they had their first food bank out of the local hall, a closet-sized room with three to four hampers, and it just kept growing. The food bank's current building was built on North Fork Road and its first hamper went out in 2018.
Nick Johnson, manager of member services at Food Banks BC, nominated Harvey for the medal.
"As anyone who's ever tried to start something from the ground up will tell you, it doesn't happen without deep passion, a whole lot of persistence, and a profound care for others, and I would say that Sharon has all three in spades," Johnson said. "The ripple effect of her work will be felt in this town for years to come."
Johnson said he grew up in a small town like Cherryville and understands small-town dynamics, and "when you have someone like Sharon in your town, you just feel like someone's looking out for you. She's the kind of person you want in your small town."
Harvey's daughter, Meghan Derkach, is following in her mother's footsteps. She's the executive director of the Cherryville Community Food and Resource Society. After the COVID-19 pandemic, she made the connection between the resource centre and Interior Health, bringing essential health resources to the community.
"I'm so proud of her," said Harvey, describing who her daughter is by way of an anecdote: Derkach led a protest at her school in defence of the school's secretary, who she felt was being mistreated by the district. She took a three-day suspension for her troubles, but Harvey said it sparked a desire to stand up for just causes, such as keeping people fed at the food bank years later.
"That's what happens here. She stands up for people that don't get the services they require," Harvey said. "She is that voice, and she's a strong voice."
The King Charles III Coronation Medal honours Canadians who have made a significant contribution to the country or abroad. Of the 30,000 medals awarded, 10,000 have been given to members of the Canadian Armed Forces.
