Hope Crime Prevention Society now has a new dedicated vehicle for volunteers, thanks to the support of several local businesses.
Gardner GM recently donated a used Chevrolet Impala to the non-profit organization and partnered with Subway, Hope Signcrafters, Envision Financial and Hub International to cover the vehicle insurance and maintenance.
“They’ve done a lot for me by patrolling my place and I figured this would be a good thing to give back to the community,” said Bud Gardner. “I think it helps the whole community and the businesses as they patrol the streets around town.”
Hope RCMP Staff Sgt. Suki Manj said normally volunteers have used their own personal vehicles for Speed Watch, Block Watch, Citizens on Patrol, and patrols at Othello Tunnels. He didn’t feel that was right which is why he approached Gardner.
“It’s a nice thing for the volunteers. It shows them they are appreciated by the community and by us,” said Manj. “It’s something that took a lot of persistence and partnership building and culminated into having multiple partners to make it happen.”