Desert Sun Counselling & Resource Centre

Desert Sun Counselling & Resource Centre A local, charitable, non-profit organization which offers counselling, family development, a Safe Ho Get more detailed information below.

The vision of Desert Sun Counselling and Resource Centre is for a community where all citizens are healthy, participating and contributing community members. We offer many programs and projects which help improve quality of life such as counselling, community kitchens, a safe-home project, community outreach, Mother Goose, income tax preparation and "The Choice is Mine".

11/25/2025

🌟 Empty Bowls & Baskets – Program Spotlight Series
Where your generosity makes a real impact in the South Okanagan

🌟 Program Spotlight Series Begins! 🌟

Every dollar raised through our Empty Bowls & Baskets fundraiser directly supports the programs Desert Sun Counselling & Resource Centre provides right here in the South Okanagan.

Over the next few weeks, we’re showcasing the real programs behind the fundraiser—programs that support children, youth, seniors, families, and those facing some of life’s toughest moments.

💛 When you give, you’re helping your neighbours. Your community. Your home.
Stay tuned for each spotlight and learn how your support truly makes a difference.

https://youtu.be/wZShrW50D7U?si=f8f5UbfOFARTp5SD

Today we celebrate Giving Tuesday—a global day of generosity and local impact. 🌎💛Your support helps Desert Sun provide c...
11/25/2025

Today we celebrate Giving Tuesday—a global day of generosity and local impact. 🌎💛

Your support helps Desert Sun provide counselling, senior support, youth programs, transportation, and more. With 27 different programs we service Oliver, Osoyoos and Ok Falls.

We’re excited to share our Empty Bowls & Baskets thermometer too—every donation helps us rise!
You can give today… or any day that feels right.

Donate at desertsun.ca, pop in to one of our offices 8701 Main Street, Osoyoos/762 Fairview Road, Oliver or etransfer to accounting@desertsun.ca.

🚨 Urgent: Christmas Sponsors Needed 🚨This year, our Share the Spirit Program has more than 20 families who still need sp...
11/25/2025

🚨 Urgent: Christmas Sponsors Needed 🚨

This year, our Share the Spirit Program has more than 20 families who still need sponsors. We want to ensure every child and family feels cared for this Christmas — and we can’t do it without our community. 💛

If you feel called to help, even in a small way, we would be so grateful. Your support brings joy, dignity, and comfort to local families during a season that can be especially hard.

👉 Please contact Maureen: maureen@desertsun.ca

Thank you for opening your hearts and helping us Share the Spirit. ✨

✨ Share the Spirit – Weekly Donation Highlight ✨Our Share the Spirit Program is officially underway, and we’re so gratef...
11/24/2025

✨ Share the Spirit – Weekly Donation Highlight ✨

Our Share the Spirit Program is officially underway, and we’re so grateful for the amazing generosity our community shows each year. ❤️

This week, we are collecting new toques, gloves, and mittens for children and youth ages 1–18. These small items make a big difference in helping kids stay warm and cared for this winter.

If you’d like to donate, items can be dropped off at either of our office locations:
📍 8701 Main Street, Osoyoos
📍 762 Fairview Road, Oliver

Thank you for helping us bring joy, comfort, and warmth to local children this holiday season. ❄️💛

🎉 We’re off to an incredible start! 🎉Our Empty Bowls & Baskets Annual Fundraiser is officially underway, and the Kickoff...
11/21/2025

🎉 We’re off to an incredible start! 🎉

Our Empty Bowls & Baskets Annual Fundraiser is officially underway, and the Kickoff Event was a HUGE success!
Thanks to the generosity of our community, sponsors, volunteers, and everyone who joined us on November 15th, we are thrilled to share that we are starting out with an amazing $27,379 raised so far!

This is an incredible launch, and we are so grateful for the support. The online fundraiser continues until December 31st, and we can’t wait to see how much more impact we can create together for the South Okanagan.

Thank you for helping us strengthen lives, support families, and build healthier communities. 💛✨

If you feel inspired to give, there are several easy ways to support this year’s Empty Bowls & Baskets Fundraiser:
💻 Online: donate anytime at desertsun.ca
🏢 In Person: drop by our offices
8701 Main Street, Osoyoos
762 Fairview Road, Oliver
📞 By Phone: call 250-498-2538 ext. “0”
💸 E-transfer: send to accounting@desertsun.ca

Every contribution helps us continue providing vital programs and services across the South Okanagan. Thank you for your generosity!

❄️ Calling All Snow Angels! ❄️We’re gearing up for the winter season and are looking for kind-hearted community members ...
11/21/2025

❄️ Calling All Snow Angels! ❄️

We’re gearing up for the winter season and are looking for kind-hearted community members to help seniors and vulnerable neighbours with snow shoveling this year.

If you’re willing to lend a hand (or a shovel!) and make a meaningful difference in someone’s day, we’d love to hear from you.

✨ Contact the Better at Home Program
📧 bah@desertsun.ca

📞 250-495-6925

Let’s keep our community safe, connected, and supported this winter. 💙

✨ Share the Spirit – Christmas Angels Still Needed! ✨We still have children in our community hoping for an Angel this Ch...
11/20/2025

✨ Share the Spirit – Christmas Angels Still Needed! ✨

We still have children in our community hoping for an Angel this Christmas. If you’re able to help, please reach out and make a child’s holiday a little brighter.

Contact Maureen - maureen@desertsun.ca

Thank you to everyone who joined us at Fairview Mountain Golf Course for our Empty Bowls & Baskets Kickoff! 💛The room wa...
11/19/2025

Thank you to everyone who joined us at Fairview Mountain Golf Course for our Empty Bowls & Baskets Kickoff! 💛

The room was filled with warmth, connection, laughter, and love for our community.

Our online fundraiser is now live and runs until December 31st — which means there is still LOTS of time to take part and make a donation that supports local programs across the South Okanagan.
Together, we fill bowls.
Together, we fill hearts.
Together… we take care of one another.

desertsun.ca

Another round of thank you's and special mentions for helping us pull off a successful Empty Bowls Kickoff Event!!  Fair...
11/19/2025

Another round of thank you's and special mentions for helping us pull off a successful Empty Bowls Kickoff Event!!

Fairview Mountain Golf Course for donating the venue, Nick Atkins for all the help organizing the chefs and being our go to guy, Stephen Toon for his music. Richie Walchuk for hand-making and designing our amazing trophy. Monie from South Okanagan Tours for the shuttles, Audrey of La Levainiere for her sourdough bread, Garnett Tarr for his bread making skills, Lori Martine and the Oliver Ambassadors, and all our volunteers.

Silent Auction and Door prizes: Osoyoos Starbucks, Wolftree Coffee, Joyride Winery, Gneiss Winery, Canter Cellars, Rise and Shine Coffee House, Intersection Estate Winery, Apricus Cellars, Nostalgia Winery, Dianne Gibson, Tickleberry's., Destination Osoyoos, Buy Low Foods, Audrey - Le Levaniere, Garnett Tarr - bread making skills, Richie Walchuck for hand-making the spoon trophy, Munday Media, Exhale, South Okanagan Insulation, Maverick Wines, French Door Wines, Accent Fire Place, NkMip RV Park, Osoyoos Bin Solutions, Pacific Coastal Airlines, Phantom Creek Estates, See Ya Later Ranch, Sessions Outdoor Sports, Spirit Ridge, Bartier Brothers, Buy Low Foods, Black Hills Estate Winery, Culmina, Destination Osoyoos, Dianne Gibson Domaine Artema Winery, Exhale, Fairview Cellars, Fairview Mountain Golf Course, Frank Venables Theatre, French Door Winery, Gneiss Winery, Here's the Thing Winery, Home Building Centre, Home Hardware Osoyoos, Innervisions Salon, Intersection Estate Winery, Jillian Harris, JoyRide Winery, Maverick Estate Winery, NK'MIP Cellars, Westjet, Radd Resin and Pipe Designs and Revelstoke Mountain Resort.

It takes a lot of people to make an event like this come together. We are grateful for all the community support in donations to our silent auction and prizes.

✨ THANK YOU TO OUR INCREDIBLE SPONSORS! ✨Our Empty Bowls & Baskets Kickoff Event was a beautiful night of community, gen...
11/17/2025

✨ THANK YOU TO OUR INCREDIBLE SPONSORS! ✨

Our Empty Bowls & Baskets Kickoff Event was a beautiful night of community, generosity, and connection — and it would not have been possible without the support of our amazing local sponsors. 💛

To each business and community partner who stepped forward this year:

THANK YOU for believing in the work Desert Sun does and helping us continue offering our 27 programs across Oliver, Osoyoos, and OK Falls.

Because of your generosity, we can continue supporting children, families, seniors, and individuals in our community — truly locals helping locals.

🌟 2025 Empty Bowls & Baskets Sponsors 🌟

Strike Alarms
Black Sage Butchers
Cascadia Credit Union
Gerard's Equipment Ltd.
Blue Barn Pet & Hobby Shop
Susan Cran
Royal LePage South Country
Southside Builders
Underfoot Flooring
Sunshine Valley Chiroprator
Wangler Electric
Wine Capital Electric
Okanagan General Contracting
Oliver Osoyoos Winery Association
McLean Construction
Nunes Pottinger Funeral Home
Osoyoos Physiotherapy
Southern Irrigation
Okgn Laser Lounge
Alberto's Decorating Centre

Your support truly makes a difference — not just for this event, but for the people and programs that depend on Desert Sun year-round.

Black Sage Butcher Osoyoos & South Okanagan Physiotherapy and Active Wellness Centres Okgn Laser Lounge McLean Construction Ltd. Nunes-Pottinger Funeral Service & Crematorium Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country Sunshine Valley Family Chiropractic Underfoot Flooring Services Royal LePage South Country Realty Susan Cran Blue Barn Osoyoos DLE Avenue Cascadia Credit Union - Osoyoos Branch Strike Alarms and Security Okgn Laser Lounge

✨ THANK YOU, SOUTH OKANAGAN! ✨Our Empty Bowls & Baskets Kickoff Event on Saturday, November 15th was an incredible night...
11/17/2025

✨ THANK YOU, SOUTH OKANAGAN! ✨

Our Empty Bowls & Baskets Kickoff Event on Saturday, November 15th was an incredible night of community, connection, and delicious soups! A huge thank you to all the talented chefs who created masterpieces for our friendly “Best Soup” competition:

🍲 Derek Uhlemann – Oliver Eats
Local Winter Squash & Smoked Gouda

🍲 Nick Urry – Soupertime
Fall Harvest Velouté

🍲 Lyndsay Beck – Gino’s Coffee House
Italian Sausage Zuppa Toscana

🍲 Barrie McConchie – Date Plates
Roasted Butternut Squash with Sage, Brown Butter & Nutmeg Crème Fraîche

🍲 Steve Sheridan – Thai on The Fly
Tom Kha G*i

🍲 Matt Leyes – Black Sage Butcher
Bacon, Cabbage & White Bean Soup

🍲 Melissa Genberg – Queen of The South
Marry Me Chicken Soup

🍲 Josh Ravell – Maverick Winery
Late Harvest Tomato & Speck with Grilled Cheese Croutons

🍲 Shawn Cheer – Sweetgrass at Nk’Mip Winery
3-Sisters Soup (squash, bean, rice, bison, corn)

🍲 Anil Naduman – Manzil Restaurant
South Indian Rasam with Dhokla

We are so grateful to each of you for sharing your time, talent, and heart with us. ❤️

🏆 AND THE WINNER IS…
✨ SHAWN CHEER — SWEETGRASS AT NK’MIP WINERY! ✨

Congratulations, Shawn!
Your 3-Sisters Soup won the title of Best Soup of 2025 and absolutely wowed our guests. 🥣🏆

🙏 Thank You, Community

Your support helps power the 27 programs Desert Sun runs for children, families, seniors, and individuals across Oliver, Osoyoos, and OK Falls.

We couldn’t do this without you. 💛
Locals supporting locals — always.

Oliver Eats Ltd. Black Sage Butcher Soupertime Food for the Soul Queen of the south charcuterie Gino’s Coffee House DatePlates

Address

762 Fairview Road, PO Box 1890
Oliver, BC
V0H1T0

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm

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Our Story

The Mission of Desert Sun Counselling is to facilitate supportive programs to empower people of all ages to experience an enhanced quality of life in their homes, schools and communities. Our Vision is to be a leading edge, dedicated, professional organization providing responsive programs such as Counselling, a Women’s Crisis Line and a Safe Home, parent supportive programming at community kitchens and through our Early Years program, a Men’s Shed, Roots of Empathy program in our elementary schools, a Youth Drop Inn Centre, a Summer camp that teaches children resiliency, a Community Garden in Osoyoos, Affordable Housing and a Computer Tutor program to teach people computer skills. Get more detailed information below.