ABOUT US
Food Banks BC is grateful and honoured to work on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Salish Peoples, including the q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie), q̓ʷɑ:n̓ƛ̓ən̓ (Kwantlen), and Semiahma (Semiahmoo) land-based nations. We are a provincial organization and our work goes beyond the place where we live and impacts the lives of nations across BC and Turtle Island.
Vision, Mission & Goals
Our Vision:
A hunger-free future
Our Mission:
Inspire, empower and support our members to achieve hunger-free communities
Our Goals:
-
Create value and opportunities for members
-
Build sustainable fundraising and partnerships
-
Develop a sustainable dynamic organizational culture
-
Promote effective public awareness and education
Food Bank Facts
More than 50% of BC’s food banks are in rural areas (less than 10K population)
More than 50% of BC’s food banks are run completely by volunteers
More than 80,000 individuals are assisted by our food banks every month in BC
10,000 seniors each month access a food bank
Each month, BC food banks provide an additional 496,000 meals through shelters, soup kitchens & school lunches
Many food banks go above and beyond the original mandate of basic food support. 75% offer ‘food focused’ programs. 45% offer ‘skill building’ programs. All this in addition to providing emergency help, while they seek long term solutions to hunger and food insecurity such as:
-
Recovery of surplus perishable foods
-
Community gardens
-
Home canning and preserving classes
-
Community kitchens
-
Nutritional education, cooking, baking classes
-
Farm Gleaning Projects
-
Supplying and Supporting School Lunch, Snack and After School programs
-
Providing Food for Emergency Centres
-
Meeting the Special Needs – seniors, babies, children, pregnant or nursing women
-
Drop in Meals
-
Farmer’s Markets
-
Working Together with Local Farmers
-
Reclamation of surplus food
-
Holistic Care –free dental care, shelters, temporary housing, showers, clothing, laundry
-
Nutritional Classes
-
Delivery & mobile food banks
-
Networking to services
-
Budgeting help
-
Employment search support
Food Banks BC is the provincial member association of food banks in British Columbia. Food Banks BC is a proud member of Food Banks Canada.
We support our members through the provision of resources that support growth and sustainability. This is achieved through the distribution of food and financial donations, providing access to training and capacity building programs, networking opportunities and the sharing of best practices, and as a representative voice to speak to the needs of food banks and their communities throughout BC.
Our membership is comprised of 102 food banks.