Cold Weather Clothing Drive

For this winter season, we collected 6,315 items​​ of clothing, blankets, and sleeping bags! Thanks, Kelowna for all your donations! 

We have donated to CMHA, RCMP, Mamas for Mamas, and SHARE Society.

You can continue to make donations of much needed clothing and other supplies ALL YEAR ROUND at Kelowna Toyota!

The 6th Annual B Mack & Karly Cold Weather Clothing Drive supported the Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society!

The goal again this year was to keep our most vulnerable in our community warm, by collecting and distributing the generously donated, previously loved clothing and other items needed to help the cause. A big thank you to our generous community for the past 6 years of donations, which to date has dispersed over 33,000 articles to those in need.

B Mack & Karly started this clothing drive on 99.9 Virgin Radio Kelowna 6 years ago as they saw an immediate need to help these people in need, as they work early and see the homeless situation on a daily basis. There have even been occasions in which they have met and assisted some of these vulnerable people sleeping outside in the front entrance to Virgin Radio’s studio downtown on Bernard. They wanted to do something big to help this cause, with the support of our amazing Okanagan residents. 

All donations go towards helping the most vulnerable members of our community to ensure that each individual has the necessary clothing during the cold winter months. KFS works with dozens of other local charities and causes to help in areas of need.

2022/23 Cold Weather Clothing Drive Dedicated to John Thiessen

John Thiessen was a regular guy from Winnipeg who met his wife Debra when he moved to Alberta, and then raised their kids, Katie & Parker. He found his next passion in videography, where he filmed thousands of videos, including weddings & first class events all over the world. He moved the family to Kelowna in 2009, but sadly struggled with failing health and financial worries, and chose to make a negative into a huge positive. Driving down Leon Ave one cold winter eve, he witnessed how much our homeless population was struggling, and decided then and there to focus his life on helping out those less fortunate in his community, and made it his true passion. No matter what, John believed EVERYONE deserves to be fed, warm, and to be loved, without judgment, human to human, despite our differences. That is the legacy he will leave behind, and we dedicate B Mack & Karly’s Cold Weather Clothing Drive to his memory. Thank you John Thiessen, for everything you selflessly did for your community!

Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society​’s Role:

KFS's role in the clothing drive was for donations drop-offs. They were responsible for sorting, counting, and distributing the donated articles of clothing to organizations and individuals in need. KFS worked collaboratively with all agencies involved with the Coordinated Outreach Table to ensure every community member had appropriate clothing for the 2022-2023 winter months. It takes a community to help solve a community issue!  

ABOUT KFS
The Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society is a registered charity that established in 1974. The Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society provides for the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual well-being of all peoples through the development of community-based services, while encouraging the community to preserve, share and promote Aboriginal cultural distinctiveness.

Thanks for all your donations, Kelowna! Great job!