A Kelowna-based charity’s South Okanagan branch is looking to make resources easier to access by moving into their own office space.
The only issue is they have yet to find the space.
Mamas for Mamas provides supports to mothers and caregivers in need by pointing them to community resources or providing caregivers with baby supplies if they need them.
South Okanagan branch coordinator Crystal Boros said the need has been great within Penticton, Osoyoos, Boundary, Grand Forks and Christina Lake, going up as much as 50 per cent since the pandemic began.
Currently, the branch operates out of Boros’ home, with some extra space at Penticton Self Storage.
“We’ve been operating out of my house or out of the storage unit or making local drops,” Boros said.
“We’re running out of space. My crawl space is full, our storage space is getting full, and we just don’t have room to counsel or work on referrals.”
With the limited space at Boros’ home and the reports from caregivers saying they are having difficulties accessing help, especially in smaller communities outside of Penticton, which is why Boros and her co-coordinator Leah Nason decided to ask for the community’s help in finding and securing an office space for them to operate out of.
Ideally, Boros said they’d like a space in Penticton’s downtown core so moms and caregivers who don’t have vehicles can easily access them by transit.
“For now, even just a 10 (feet) by 10 (feet) office somewhere in the downtown core will help a lot,” she said.
“We can put together a little pantry for those who need food items, and it’ll just give us some space to have other supplies on hand and still have space to speak with mamas and help them navigate some resources.”
In an ideal world, she said they’ll have a bigger space but for now, they’re asking for a space that can accommodate what Mamas for Mamas is trying to do in the South Okanagan and the surrounding areas.
If you have available space for Mamas for Mamas, you can
email Boros here.
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