1. What are the expectations of volunteers staying on site?

If you are staying on site, you are expected to volunteer on the days that you are staying. Our volunteer hours are Monday – Saturday, from 8:30am-Noon. We ask that you be ready to work at 8:30am sharp. Sunday is a day off. Volunteers staying on‑site are also expected to help with about an hour of work each evening, usually between 7 and 8pm. All other times are considered free time for volunteers.

2. What kind of accommodations do you have and what do they include?

Cabins
We have two “cabins” for our volunteers to stay in. The cabins are each one room in a building. They each have a double bed and a place to hang clothes. There is also electricity. They do not have any washrooms or kitchen facilities, but they are available in our main building. We do have some bedding, but it is best to bring your own in case we run out.

Trailers
We have three trailers for our volunteers to stay in. Trailer #1 is suitable for 3 or more people and has two double beds (this is only available to those wanting to book with 3 or more people during the summer as it is our only accommodation that will accommodate that many people comfortably). Trailer #2 has a double bed and a single bed. Trailer #3 is a camper set on the ground. It is most suitable for 1 or 2 people. The kitchen and washroom facilities in the trailers are inoperable and we ask that you do not cook in the trailers due to our insurance policy. The trailers do have electricity. We do have some bedding, but it is best to bring your own in case we run out.

RV Sites
We have 8 RV sites available for volunteers. All sites have water hook-ups and power. Two of them have 30 amp service and the rest have 15 amp service. There are no sewer hook-ups on the property. Most volunteers will dump their sewer into buckets and down our toilets, dump sewer off-site before leaving town, or use our washroom facilities in the main building. We ask that you do not run your air conditioners in your RVs as this kicks our breakers and wrecks our power cords. We do not take requests for specific RV sites. When you book in advance, you are only guaranteeing a site, but sites are taken on a first-come, first-serve basis for those with reservations. We welcome you to come with your RV without reservations, but you will not be guaranteed a site and if there aren’t any sites available, you will have to park off to the side without any power/water hook-ups.

Tenting
We have lots of room for people to tent amongst the plum trees.

Cabins, trailers and RV sites are available BY RESERVATION ONLY. Please e-mail our Hospitality Co‑ordinator at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it with your request for reservations. Please include what kind of accommodation you are looking for, dates of arrival and departure, size of your RV and contact information to get back to you. If you would like to tent on-site, please contact us ahead of time to be sure we will have room for you. All groups MUST BOOK IN ADVANCE through the Hospitality Co-ordinator.

4. What kinds of amenities are there in the main building?

Our main building has a large kitchen with everything you will need for cooking and storing your food (fridges, ovens/stoves, double sinks, microwaves). We don’t have a dishwasher so you will need to wash your own dishes and put them away. There is a fire pit on the property (check for fire bans before using) and also a BBQ for volunteers to use. There are also washrooms, showers and coin laundry facilities in the main building.

5. What kinds of things are there to do in the Oliver area after volunteer hours?

Check out these websites for things to do and see in and around the Oliver/Osoyoos/Penticton areas:

OLIVER
http://www.hellobc.com/en-CA/RegionsCities/Oliver.htm
http://www.winecapitalofcanada.com/
http://www.oliver.ca/siteengine/activepage.asp
Public Outdoor Pool open from May long weekend to end of August
Lots of beaches
Several golf courses
Wine tours
Spray park
Farmer’s Market (Saturday only)
Kiwanis Market (Saturday morning)

OSOYOOS
http://www.destinationosoyoos.com/visit-osoyoos
http://www.hellobc.com/en-CA/RegionsCities/Osoyoos.htm
http://osoyoos.travel.bc.ca/
Osoyoos Desert Model Railroad - http://www.osoyoosrailroad.com/
Osoyoos RV Waterslides - http://www.osoyoos-rv-waterslides.ca/
Rattlesnake Canyon - http://www.rattlesnakecanyon.ca/
Lots of golf courses
Wine tours

PENTICTON
http://www.tourismpenticton.com/
http://www.penticton.ca/main.asp
Lots of beaches
Public pool (closed for renovations until March 2011)
Everything else you may need

Most of these things listed are for the summer months, but some are also open year round. Check out the websites for more information.

5. Group Bookings

If you would like to bring a group to the Okanagan Gleaners for a missions trip and plan to stay on site, please e-mail our Hospitality Co-ordinator at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and she will get back to you ASAP. Please include the following information in your e-mail:
- Name of group
- Type of group (i.e. youth group, home school families, adult group)
- Leader’s contact information
        - Phone number (daytime, evening & cell of someone travelling with your group)
        - Address
- 3 preferred weeks in order of preference (starting on a Sunday and ending on a Saturday)
- Category: (1) 15 people and under or (2) 16-30 people (at this time we do not take groups larger than 30 people)
- if you require Cabins, Trailers or RV sites in addition to the tenting area (Cabins, Trailers and RV sites are BY RESERVATION ONLY so if you do not book these in advance, they will not be available to your group).
- if you are booking RV sites, we will need to know the length of the RVs, whether they have pull-outs, and how many pull-outs on each side to be sure that they will fit in the spaces we have available

6. If I want to come and volunteer, but I’d rather not stay on-site, what are my options for places to stay?

There are lots of places to stay in the Oliver area. The best thing to do is to search for Oliver motel/RV park/campground on the internet and see what you can find. Keep in mind that Oliver is a very busy place in the summer with tourists, so you will want to book in advance to be sure that you get a room/RV spot. There are a few motels/RV parks that offer discounts to Gleaners' volunteers. Please e-mail our Hospitality Co-ordinator to get a list of these businesses.

7. Do you have WIFI signal on the property?

Yes, we have wireless internet access available for volunteers. Please ask the plant manager or person in charge for the password when you arrive.

8. Does Gleaners host a worship & prayer time?

We don't host any worship time but there is a prayer time every morning at 9:15 after work has started.

9.  Do you have an outdoor BBQ area and picnic tables?

Yes, we have a firepit, picnic tables and 2 BBQs on-site.

10. Is there a good grocery store nearby?

There are 2 chain grocery stores in Oliver. There is also the Wholesale Club in Penticton, along with several other choices.

11. What kind of vegetables/fruit will we be processing when we come? Will we be drying fruit or making soup mix?

We don't know ahead of time what we will be processing when you are here, but it will most likely be a type of vegetables. Soup mixing is only done for 2 weeks in January. If you would like to come specifically for soup mixing time, please call the plant at (250) 498-8859 during the month of December to find out what dates the mixing will be taking place in January. We need lots of volunteers during mixing time.

 12. Can I bring my pet with me when I come to volunteer?

There are ABSOLUTELY NO PETS ALLOWED in the Gleaners' accommodations. There will be NO EXCEPTIONS as many of our volunteers have serious allergies.

Pets are allowed in your own RV as long as they stay within the confines of the RV site, tied up or inside at ALL times and taken off the property to do their business. Please let us know if you are bringing a pet with you when you book your RV site.

Pets are also not allowed in the camping area or inside the Gleaners' buildings as this is a food processing facility.

13. Do I need to bring anything with me for working?

WorkSafe BC requires anyone working on the premises to wear close-toed shoes only. Aprons are provided. Wear clothing that will be comfortable and that you don't mind getting dirty.