Island Junk Removal Solutions has been designated an essential service by the BC government

By now, you have probably been social and physical distancing, told to stay home as much as possible, heard the good and bad news from BC’s Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, in her daily progress updates. It has all been a little surreal for us here at Island Junk — but one thing we were sure of from the get-go is that the junk removal business was going to be tasked with challenges of safety for our team, our clients, and that the community at large was going to go through some hardship..

It was not a surprise to us to be designated an essential service, as we handle everything from hazardous waste removal to residential junk, appliance, and yard cleanup, to municipal contracted site remediation. We also work closely with local community housing organisations such as the M’akola Housing Society and the Portland Hotel Society. We knew that with the Covid19 virus spreading, we would have to change some of our protocols, which are:

• We do not allow members to enter buildings to remove items; rather we ask residential customers to pile items for re-enlisted at the end their way in their parking lot
• We have beefed up our already robust sanitizing and hygiene regimens
• We don’t handle cash, preferring Interac Transfer, distanced Tap, or Credit Card by phone

We soon realised business was not as normal, friends, colleagues, and many people, were losing jobs. Even if jobs are not being lost, many employers have been forced to reduce operating hours. We and our team members are stressed from what we’ve been seeing day to day. So, we made a decision to assure them full pay through this difficult time, whether the hours are there or not. And with line ups at some stores, shortages of items, and the closure of restaurants, we wanted to help out where we could, build some team spirit, and support local business. So, until that curve is flat, and this unprecedented Covid19 event is but a memory, we are going to have dinner, once a week, catered to the 3 families that currently make up the Island Junk team.

Truffles Catering

The team at Truffles are personal friends, so when we hear about the new delivery service, From Our Kitchen to Yours, it was an easy choice for us.

Let’s support local during these trying times.

What was not easy was choosing what to have from their menu! Look at the photo below — a few of the dishes which arrived last Wednesday evening at our socially distanced 3 separate houses. Sooooooo gooood! We can’t wait to try other menu items this coming week! Thanks Dan, Greg, and JP!

Truffles Catering – Dinner March 25, 2020

Thank you all who have kindly supported Island Junk Removal Solutions, especially during the ongoing Covid19 crisis. We will continue to look for ways to support our community, as we are all in this together. Finally, we would like echo Dr. Bonnie Henry’s hopes below for all our friends, colleagues, clients, and front-line people in our communities here on the southern tip of Vancouver Island.