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Choose your way to make a difference. Your help is urgently needed! DONATE TO FOOD BANKS BC BC’s food banks need your support more than ever. Rising grocery prices, the housing crisis, and extreme weather events are pushing more people to rely on food banks just to get by. Demand is at an all-time high, and your donation makes a real difference. With your help, we can ensure food banks across BC have the resources they need to support their communities. Thank you for your generosity. Donate Now Your Help Is Urgently Needed Donate Securities Fundraise Now DONATE BY PHONE Call us at 604-498-1798 and we can process your donation over the phone DONATE BY EFT Please email us at info@foodbanksbc.com for banking details DONATE BY MAIL Mail your cheque to: Food Banks BC, Suite 302 – 12761 16th Avenue, Surrey, BC V4A 1N2 DONATE BY E-TRANSFER Please send to donations@foodbanksbc.com and ensure you email us your information for a tax receipt

Contact Us Tel: 604-498-1798 Toll free: 1-855-498-1798 Fax: 604-498-1795 info@foodbanksbc.com Suite 302 – 12761 16th Avenue Surrey, BC V4A 1N2 Monday to Thursday 9:00 am – 4:30 pm (operating hours may vary) For media inquiries, please click here Full Name Email Write a message Submit Thank you for your message. Do you have a concern or complaint? We recognize that from time to time there may be inquiries, concerns or complaints and we believe that our stakeholders have the right to tell us about them. To share your feedback please contact the Food Banks BC office by calling or filling out the form above. Alternatively, you can contact the Food Banks C anada Customer Experience Hotline at 1.877.280.0329 or EMAIL Click here to read the Food Banks BC Complaints Policy.

Food Banks BC is grateful to the Provincial Government and donors for their support in helping Food Banks BC conduct important work to alleviate hunger, particularly among people and communities that are disproportionately impacted by poverty and hunger. < Back The Resilient North Project Since March 2022, Food Banks BC has partnered with the Public Health Association of BC on research and grants to support sustainable food systems and equitable food access in Northern BC. In 2024, Food Banks BC administered the Rapid Stimulus Grant for Food Systems Transformation (RSG), a one-time grant for non-profits in Northern BC to advance transformation in the food system. Thirty-six innovative projects across Northern BC received $794,546 in funding in June 2024. The projects through this grant will be inspiring and transformational for local and regional food systems resilience, equity, and capacity-building. Previous Next

Food Banks BC is grateful to the Provincial Government and donors for their support in helping Food Banks BC conduct important work to alleviate hunger, particularly among people and communities that are disproportionately impacted by poverty and hunger. < Back Emergency Food Support Food banks play a crucial role during times of emergency and natural disaster . This happens through the provision of food, water and other urgently needed supplies to evacuees, people impacted within the community, aid services and non-profits, and frontline emergency service personnel. For many years, Food Banks BC has played an active role in supporting communities impacted by major weather events. In 2024/25 we provided $1,212,792 to assist with the purchase of food and equipment that assisted with response and recovery efforts. This included the provision of 416,925 pounds to support communities still impacted by the fire that destroyed the village of Lytton in July 2021. Previous Next

Food Banks BC is grateful to the Provincial Government and donors for their support in helping Food Banks BC conduct important work to alleviate hunger, particularly among people and communities that are disproportionately impacted by poverty and hunger. < Back School Meals Program Since 2023, Food Banks BC has prioritized programming that supports greater access to healthy food in BC's schools. These pilot programs have been delivered in partnership with BC Agriculture in the Classroom (BCAITC) and the Flourish School Food Society. Since 2023, FBBC has invested $1,738,048 in school food, with $621,345 contributed in 2024/25. These funds have had a tremendous impact. BCAITC: With support from BCAITC, the program has provided 2.4 million healthy produce or dairy snacks, reaching 19,200 children, across 42 schools within six districts in BC , to date. The expansion of this pilot has the potential to reach 75+ schools and 25,000+ more students—expanding healthy, local food access and economic opportunity across BC Flourish School Food Society: Partnering with Flourish, the funds have expanded the school meals program to 1,100 servings daily to 22 schools in Victoria and Sooke, resulting in an additional 50,000 meals schools since the partnership began. Additionally, the support from Food Banks BC has enabled the launch of Flourish’s grocery program, resulting in 104,000 snack servings through various meal programs, as well as weekly grocery distributions to 30 schools . This program has the potential to sustainably provide at least 210,000 meals and 500,000 diverse and nutritious snack servings to schools each academic year. Previous Next

Food Banks BC is grateful to the Provincial Government and donors for their support in helping Food Banks BC conduct important work to alleviate hunger, particularly among people and communities that are disproportionately impacted by poverty and hunger. < Back Agency Relief Fund In partnership with the Province of British Columbia’s Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, Food Banks BC administers funding support to agencies providing hunger relief services in BC communities. The Agency Relief Fund (ARF) assists with hunger relief operations and provided $2,347,619 to agencies in 2024/25. This is the equivalent of almost 5 million meals to support British Columbians in need. The ARF was distributed to 110 member agencies and 24 non-member agencies throughout the province. Previous Next

The guide is a resource for food bank operators seeking to make their food bank environments more accessible and welcoming to people with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIIA+ people, community members who identify as Black, Indigenous and People of Colour, and other equity-deserving groups. Accessibility and Equity Guide The guide is a resource for food bank operators seeking to make their food bank environments more accessible and welcoming to people with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIIA+ people, community members who identify as Black, Indigenous and People of Colour, and other equity-deserving groups. To reflect the current best practices and standards , the guide was compiled through an international literature review and interviews with BC food banks. In addition, it is accessible to PDF/UA standards, ensuring accessibility to the broadest audience possible. Download the Guide

Meet our staff and board who help food banks all over BC. Staff Dan Huang-Taylor Executive Director EMAIL Christine Ryan Director of Operations EMAIL Sherri Binks Manager, Food Programs EMAIL Nick Johnson Manager, Member Services EMAIL Marina Heidt Financial Clerk EMAIL Katie Orr Provincial Manager, National Standards EMAIL Natalia Ribeiro Administrative Coordinator EMAIL Shanille Samra Financial Controller EMAIL Board of Directors Food Banks BC is governed by a volunteer board of directors, elected by the membership annually. The board is comprised of community representatives and representatives from our food bank network: Hajira Hussain, Chairperson Alison Colwell Lindsay Miles-Pickup Mike Cooke Sydney Goodfellow (she/her) Treska Watson, Vice Chairperson Elaine Laberge Lucille Gnanasihamany Mike Olson Cathy Chaplow, Treasurer Kim Roberts Mavis A. Erickson Scott Nicoll, Past Chair

This website was designed to conform to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA. The website was last updated on October 5th, 2023. Food Banks BC Accessibility Policy At Food Banks BC, we strive to provide support and resources in a way that respects the dignity and independence of all our community members. We commit to giving people with disabilities the same opportunity to access our supports and resources and allowing them to benefit from the same services in the same place and in a similar way as other users. At Food Banks BC, a person with a disability supported by a service dog, a guide, or a support individual will be allowed to have that support resource accompany them while accessing our services. These support persons and service dogs are granted the same access as the person they are accompanying. Under no circumstances will a person with a disability and their support resource be prevented from accessing our services and resources. When a barrier to accessing our support and resources arises, Food Banks BC takes a proactive stance. We actively seek alternative ways to ensure access, encouraging individuals to communicate their specific needs. If there's uncertainty about accessing our services and resources, please reach out to us at info@foodbanksbc.com or 604-498-1798. At Food Banks BC, we celebrate differences and honour individuals’ experiences. We are committed to providing regular education and resources on accessibility and equity, ensuring that our staff and community members are always informed and equipped to promote inclusivity. We also strive to use inclusive language in our verbal and written communication. We encourage our member food banks to: 1. Provide spaces where people are treated with dignity. 2. Celebrate differences. 3. Center accessibility needs of their employees, volunteers, and clients. Accessibility is the work we do to ensure people with disabilities can access our services equally with others. It includes ways to remove barriers to access, including physical barriers, attitudes, communication, systemic, technology, and sensory considerations. Below are some examples of accessibility practices that Food Banks BC encourages our members to implement whenever possible (bearing in mind the limitations some organizations face, such as space and landlord restrictions). Physical Accessibility Practices • Ensuring an area where a HandyDart vehicle or accessible taxi can safely drop someone off. • Ensure the entryway to the food bank is accessible to wheelchairs, walkers, and strollers. • Ensuring there is an automatic door at the entrance and washroom. • Ensuring there is designated accessible parking available. • Ensuring a rest area is available for folks with health conditions that limit their ability to stand for extended periods. • Ensuring there is an area to wait in, protected from weather and the elements. • Ensuring washrooms have grab bars. Attitude Accessibility Practices • Greeting clients as they enter the space. • Collecting client feedback. Communication Accessibility Practices • Use signage or other materials that explain how the food bank runs and what to expect. • Offering options for non-verbal communication. • Communicating changes to stakeholders. • Providing signage or information in languages other than English. Systemic Accessibility Practices • Ensuring service hours are sufficient to reduce wait times and crowding. • Communicating to stakeholders how they can request accommodation for their disability (i.e. home delivery). • Communicating the complaint process and how to report an accessibility issue. • Ensuring employees and volunteers understand and agree with The Ethical Foodbanking Code. • Ensuring food bank operators are trained in de-escalation or other methods for holding safe space. • Providing choice to clients whenever possible. • Providing cooking suggestions for items that may be unfamiliar to clients. Technology Accessibility Practices • Ensuring websites are accessible to screen readers • Ensuring website graphs and charts have text to explain them Sensory Accessibility Practices • Accommodating food restrictions • Ensuring sufficient lighting allows someone with low vision to navigate the space. • Avoiding floors and wall colour contrasting with busy patterns. This website was designed to conform to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA. The website was last updated on October 5th, 2023. If you encounter accessibility issues, we welcome your report. You can send the information to info@foodbanksbc.com .

We believe in taking a fresh approach to the way food is distributed in our communities, resulting in innovative programs and solutions that have made BC Canada’s leader in food security.   Become a Member Food Banks BC comprises of over 100 member hunger relief agencies. Our members can be found in all corners of the province and in communities from Valemount to Vancouver or Sparwood to Surrey. As we see an increasing need for the services of food banks, Food Bank BC serves to support those who are undertaking this important work. Click below to learn more about membership. Learn More

If you have any further questions please contact Food Banks BC directly. FAQ WHO CAN USE A FOOD BANK? Most of our members register their clients so that they can keep records of who is using their services and ensure that food is distributed equitably.  Each member is a separate charitable organization that will have unique requirements based on their own community.   Find out more about the food bank in your community. AREN’T FOOD BANKS JUST A CRUTCH? Most food banks in our province are able to supply about 3 or 4 days’ worth of food every 2 weeks for their clients.  This amount of food makes all the difference in feeding their family when the rest of their meagre budget has been used up by things like transportation, clothing and extra school costs for their children. Without this boost, many people in our communities would be hungry. IS FOOD BANKS BC A FOOD BANK? No, we represent and support the 100 food banks across our province. Did you know that close to half of these members cannot afford any paid staff; they are run completely by volunteers?   Some do not even have a computer system to keep track of clients or donations.    When you support Food Banks BC it means that we can stand in the gap for these food banks, making sure that they can be effective in their own communities helping everyone who turns to them when there is nowhere else to go. DO FOOD BANKS NEED VOLUNTEERS? Yes, volunteering is an essential part of how food banks run. Check to see if there is a food bank that might need your help or if you are interested in helping Food Banks BC, please call 604-498-1798 or email (this links to info@foodbanksbc.com email) WHAT ARE FOOD BANKS BC SHARING COUPONS? Local food banks place our BC Share coupons at check-out stands. Then every shopper has the opportunity to scan one of these to add $2.00 to their purchase.   The grocery store then keeps this money for the local food bank and they are able to use this fund to purchase the necessities for their clients.  Last year we raised close to $1 million dollars through BC Share coupons and food banks were better able to provide healthy, fresh food to their clients. WHAT DO I DO IF MY QUESTION ISN’T LISTED HERE? Ask us! You can reach us at 604-498-1798 or via email.

Our mission is to relieve hunger today and prevent hunger tomorrow for all British Columbians. Food Banks BC is the provincial association of food banks. Our membership is comprised of 111 hunger relief agencies throughout British Columbia. We support our members and other agencies through the provision of resources that assist their efforts to tackle hunger in communities they represent. This is achieved through the distribution of food and financial donations, providing access to training and capacity building prog rams, networking opportunities, and as a representative voice to speak to the needs of food banks as well as the hundreds of thousands of British Columbians who face ongoing food insecurity. The role of Food Banks BC has significantly expanded in recent years. We are working with an increasing number of donors, government agencies, non-profits, and other stakeholders, and through this expanding network, we are broadening the scale and scope of our work, and reaching more people than ever before. Beyond our membership, we work with numerous agencies that specialize in providing food access support to equity-deserving groups, including racialized populations, refugees, Indigenous communities, seniors, and migrant workers. The work of hunger relief is critical and it’s the immediate priority we all share. Looking forward, we need to shift from hunger relief to systems change. Upstream solutions that seek to reduce and, eventually, eliminate the need for charitable food. Food Banks BC is committed to supporting the need to for urgent hunger relief services now, while taking the necessary actions to eliminate the need for these services altogether and working towards a hunger-free British Columbia. Food Banks BC is a member of Food Banks Canada . Who we are and what we do Vision + Mission Our Vision A hunger-free British Columbia Our Mission To relieve hunger today and prevent hunger tomorrow for all British Columbians Click here to view our Strategic Plan. Our Values Integrity We are honourable, inclusive, respectful, and trustworthy Dignity We see and respect the inherent value and worth of every British Columbian Accountability We are accountable to our members and transparent in our dealings with all stakeholders Collaboration We share and work with our stakeholders and each other collaboratively towards common goals Equity We advocate for and believe in equitable access to food for all British Columbians Responsiveness We adapt and respond appropriately to changing conditions with timeliness, flexibility, and innovation Spirit of Giving Award As the Provincial Association of food banks in British Columbia, we see countless acts of kindness and generosity through the work of our member agencies and those who support their cause. So much of this goes unnoticed, so we want to acknowledge the contributions of these everyday superheroes. Launched in 2022, the Food Banks BC Spirit of Giving Award is an annual award that recognizes the significant contributions of individuals and community partners who have demonstrated their commitment to supporting food banks or hunger relief in British Columbia. Community Partner Award Recipients BC Housing Staff Supporters BC Liquor Distribution Branch Susan Byrom - First West Credit Union Anne Penman - CBC Agency and Individual Award Recipients Lake Country Food Bank Anne Irving - Vanderhoof Food Bank The Salvation Army Penticton Sandra Cascaden - St. Joseph's Food Bank Lillian - Kamloops Food Bank