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MORE FIREFIGHTERS NEEDED
NLAKA’PAMUXCIN
Merritt Fire Rescue Department seeks new recruits amid declining volunteer numbers.
Efforts to preserve Nlaka’pamuxcin languange flourish in Merritt.
merrittherald.com | x.com/merrittherald
THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2025
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LOCAL FOOD BANK ANNOUNCES NEW PRESIDENT TY LIM
reporter@merrittherald.com
The Nicola Valley Food Bank is getting a change in leadership as the former board chair has stepped down. On Wednesday, April 2, the Nicola Valley Food Bank held their annual general meeting at the Merritt Civic Centre where it was announced that former President/Chair of the Board Deanna Palmgreen was stepping down from her role. “It’s time for my ideas and my voice, which can be a loud one, to just step back for a little while and (for the food bank to) have some new blood,” Palmgreen said. Palmgreen has been the standing President of the Nicola Valley Food Bank for the last five years. She has been involved with the organization’s board for most of her time in Merritt. It’s been nine years since she moved to Merritt, following her husband who came to the town for work. Over her half-decade long tenure as president, Palmgreen has seen the good and bad
times the food bank has had to endure. She’s seen the demand for food increase significantly over the last two years. In 2024, the Nicola Valley Food Bank served clients just over 17,000 times according to this year’s annual report. This is a rise from 2023 where clients were served almost 16,000 times. Prior to that, in the last decade, the food bank’s highest yearly totals of clients served was at around 10,000 times. This March, the food bank saw the usual dip clients looking for food bank services. Merritt’s food bank has benefited greatly from community donations in 2024, receiving nearly 120,000lbs of food. They have also shared over 15,000lbs of food to other organizations in the community such as Ask Wellness, Angel’s Animal Rescue and Conayt Friendship Centre. This is coming at a time where the food bank is operating at a financial deficit BUILDING: continued on page 3
PHOTO : KLOTZ PRODUCTIONS
HEADING TO PROVINCIALS: Merritt dance teacher Heather Clark is super proud as her dance student Alex Cavaliere (above) qualifies for provincials. Read page 18.
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