The Salvation Army in West Kelowna, B.C., is grateful after receiving a generous helping hand from two local businesses.

The local Army was left unable to properly operate after their 1988 forklift broke down, something they rely heavily on to move goods and donations to and from the warehouse.

Much-Welcomed Donation

“When our forklift died, we called Norval Rentals to rent a machine while we looked to purchase a new one,” says Michel Frappier, warehouse and maintenance supervisor of The Salvation Army’s Renew Church Ministries. “We were thrilled when Norval decided to donate the forklift to us, rather than charging us their typical rental fee. This was a savings of nearly $2,500.”

“My  brother and I understand the impact The Salvation Army has on our community. We believe in their excellent work." MARC THOMPSON

When Valley Lift Truck Services owners Brett and Marc Thompson caught wind that The Salvation Army was relying on the donation of a rental unit, they immediately jumped into action to help.

“Valley Lift Truck Services loaned us a forklift for six weeks at no cost while they helped us source out and purchase a newer one,” explains Lenetta Parry, thrift store manager with Renew Church Ministries. “Once they found us the perfect forklift, they delivered it to our location at no charge.”

The Thompson brothers then installed a guard and a new sensor on the battery pack,  repainted the unit, put on new tires and removed the old forklift and charging station at no cost.

Then, to top it off, they surprised the Army with a new charging station and contributed $5,000 toward the new purchase, resulting in close to an $18,000 donation.

A Real Must

“We are a local company that likes to give back to our community,” says Marc Thompson. “My brother, Brett, and I understand the impact The Salvation Army has on our community. We believe in their excellent work. Once we knew there was a need, we got busy to help them as soon as possible.”

The new electric forklift will allow The Salvation Army in and around West Kelowna to move more effectively throughout the warehouse, as the smaller size will be much easier to manoeuvre in tight spaces.

It will also save them a lot of money, as they’ll be spending less on maintenance and battery repairs.

“We move millions of dollars worth of food, clothing, furniture, emergency disaster supplies and recyclables per year,” Lenetta adds, “so a reliable forklift is a must to carry out our day-today activities.”

Reprinted from Kelowna Now, July 15, 2022

Photo: Courtesy of The Salvation Army in West Kelowna