There is no dinging bell as a white ticket is placed in a pass-through window with food orders on it.

ItB次元官网网址檚 not for a table of four, but a food hamper for four.

The Legion basement is bustling with volunteers and hungry people on the first Tuesday afternoon of October.

The Goldstream Food Bank operates fully on volunteers.

B次元官网网址淲e have 110 volunteers and probably 100 of them are seniors or retired,B次元官网网址� said food bank president Gayle Ireland.

It runs on the generosity of seniors and Ireland said thatB次元官网网址檚 a system that is working.

B次元官网网址淎ll young people are busy paying rents and mortgages and they donB次元官网网址檛 have the time to donate,B次元官网网址� Ireland said. B次元官网网址淲henever our volunteers get too old to help out, new ones are always coming.B次元官网网址�

For nearly 15 years Gloria Driscoll has spent her days at the food bank. Lifting heavy boxes loaded with food into shopping carts or cradling three days worth of eggs, margarine and cheese in her arms as she walks. Driscoll is always moving.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a worth while thing to do, the food bank is something that we need,B次元官网网址� Driscoll said. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e always wanted to help and this teaches me the need. If there is no one here to pack up the food, there would be no one getting it.B次元官网网址�

Over the years Driscoll has seen the clientele change. When she first began volunteering B次元官网网址渋t was mostly just needy people in low-income housing, but now itB次元官网网址檚 people who are working but they have to choose between rent and food.B次元官网网址�

For the past five years Roy MacDonald has been helping at the food bank. B次元官网网址淢y wife brought me here,B次元官网网址� he said.

Even though the majority of volunteers are seniors, MacDonald said itB次元官网网址檚 an ideal volunteering situation for retired folks.

B次元官网网址�(Younger people) all have jobs or they are in the navy,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淏ut I love it.B次元官网网址�

Young Paek, 57, has always wanted to volunteer at the food bank and now she is retired and able to do it.

B次元官网网址淲hen I was younger I wanted to do it, and now that I donB次元官网网址檛 have a business and the kids arenB次元官网网址檛 around I can,B次元官网网址� she said while scooping kitty litter to put in the hampers of cat owners.

Even though all of the volunteers are there to help others, they enjoy the other volunteers and the community it creates.

B次元官网网址淛ust when you stop working for yourself, you start working for others,B次元官网网址� said Audrey Van Bruchem. B次元官网网址淪eniors have a little more flexibility with time and can be here when the food bank is open.B次元官网网址�

The Goldstream Food Bank is always accepting new volunteers. For more information on volunteering or donating food call 250-474-4443.

All grocery stores on the West Shore also offer bins for non-perishable items to dropped off at.