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DONATE TO FOOD BANKS BC BC's food banks are facing greater need now than ever before. COVID-19, the climate emergency and the cost-of-living crisis have contributed to an unprecedented demand for food support. Your donation helps us to help our food banks . Your generosity ensures that member food banks have access to the resources that will help them feed their communities. ​ We are very grateful for your generous support. Donate Securities Fundraise Now Your Help Is Urgently Needed DONATE BY PHONE Call us at 604-498-1798 and we can process your donation over the phone DONATE BY MAIL Mail your cheque to: Food Banks BC, Suite 302 – 12761 16th Avenue, Surrey, BC V4A 1N2 DONATE BY EFT Please email us at info@foodbanksbc.com for banking details DONATE BY E-INTERAC Please send to donations@foodbanksbc.com and ensure you email us your information for a tax receipt When donating online, tax receipts are emailed automatically by CanadaHelps , our online donation processing partner. For phone, mail, e-transfer and EFT donations, tax receipts are issued within 2-4 weeks. ​

< Back Perishable Food Refrigeration The unnecessary loss of consumable food is a critical issue. Over $6 Billion of food is wasted in BC every year, sent to landfills when it could be redirected to feed hungry families. Seeing the urgent need to reduce this unbearable waste and get more fresh and healthy food onto the tables of British Columbians, Food Banks BC launched the Perishable Food Recovery Program. With the generous support of the Provincial Government, $12.5 million has been provided to food banks in BC to purchase equipment that has significantly expanded the capacity of these agencies to store, transport and distribute perishable food, while allowing our members to create effective local food recovery programs. This in turn means that the tens of thousands of people who access food banks in BC every month have a broader access to healthy, nutritious food items. The secondary impact of this program is the diversion of waste from landfills and the reduction in harmful greenhouse gas emissions from food waste. Food waste produces 3.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide and 56.5 million tons of methane every year; devastatingly harmful emissions that contribute to the climate change emergency we are in. Every pound of food that is diverted away from a landfill is not only helping feed someone facing hunger, but contributing in the fight against climate change. Impact Report 2020 .pdf Download PDF • 8.34MB Previous Next

Contact Us Tel: 604-498-1798 Toll free: 1-855-498-1798 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. ​ ​​

TOP 10 MOST REQUESTED FOOD ITEMS Canned vegetables Canned fruit Canned beans (chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans) Canned tuna Peanut butter Pasta and pasta sauce Rice, oats, barley Hearty soup, stew, chili Small snack items (granola bars, fruit cups, applesauce) Toiletries (feminine hygiene products, baby diapers) Where can I donate food? ​ If you would like to connect with your community food bank to make a donation, or find out their specific needs, please go to the Find a Food Bank page to locate the food bank in your area.

Our Impact Provincial Programs Food insecurity and food acce ss are complex issues. Social policy, systemic racism, climate change, geography, and colonial food systems are just a few of the contributing factors that have created this increasingly critical situation we face as a society. 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. School Nutrition Pilot Program Learn more Emergency Food Support Learn more The Resilient North Learn more Perishable Food Refrigeration Learn more

Complaints Policy ​ Policy Statement This policy, guiding principles and procedures apply to complaints received by Food Banks BC about all aspects of our operations, including activities, service, staff and volunteers. It also applies to complaints received by Food Banks BC about the activities, service, staff and volunteers of our member Food Banks throughout the province. While Food Banks BC is not a regulatory or supervisory body, it is an expectation of Food Banks BC that the staff and volunteers of both Food Banks BC and Member Food Banks abide by the Food Banks BC Code of Conduct and Commitment to Ethics and will apply those standards in the resolution of complaints. Guiding Princip les All complaints will be dealt with promptly and resolved as quickly as possible. Review of complaints will be fair, impartial and respectful of all parties involved. Complaints will be directed to the person or service provider most able to directly and expeditiously address the conce rn. Complainants will be provided the basis for decisions and outcomes relating to their complaint. Complaints will be used to assist in improving service, policies and procedures. Complaints A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction or concern about the service, action or lack of action by Food Banks BC or a Member Food Bank. Examples may include (but are not limited to); Perceived failure to deliver agreed-upon services, Failure to uphold policies and procedures, Error made by staff member or volunteer, Unfair or discourteous conduct by a staff member or volunteer. Complaints will be received from those individuals who are personally and directly affected by the action and complainants will be expected to identify themselves when bringing forward their complaint. Complaint Receipt A complaint may be received verbally (by phone or in person) or in writing (by mail or email). Any representative of Food Banks BC who receives a complaint should direct the complaint to the Executive Director who will determine the most appropriate person (which may be a Food Banks BC staff or board member, or someone external to the orga nization) to handle the complaint and redirect it to that person, letting both the recipient and the complainant know about this action undertaken. The person to whom the complaint has been directed for resolution is most fre quently the one with the specific knowledge and capacity to address the issue. It is the responsibility of the person in the food banking organization who is receiving the complaints for action to either resolve it or undertake to find a resolution from a source most able to address it. Resolution Complaints received should be acknowledged within 2 business days and if possible, staff should undertake to begin resolution within that same timeframe. Every effort should be made to resolve complaints in a timely fashion. For complaints regarding a member organization, Food Banks BC will request that the member organization provides details to Food Banks BC about how and when the complaint will be resolved. Documentation Food Banks BC will keep and maintain a complaint tracking system. At Food Banks BC basic information must be recorded immediately as the complaint is received in order to help with accuracy, accountability and understandin g of the complaint. Information recorded will include; The name of the complainant and their contact information, A brief description of complaint and source of concern, The name of the receiver of the complaint, any referrals for resolution, Outcome if determined, and Time frame. An annual summary of complaints will be presented to the Board of Directors of Food Banks BC, which will include the number, type, and disposition of the complaints received over the previous 12 months, in sufficient detail for board members to understand the overall nature and impact of complaints received.

Financials Food Banks BC T3010 Filings on CRA View 2022 Financial Statements View 2020 Financial Statements View 2023 Financial Statements View 2021 Financial Statements View

Perishable Food Recovery Perishable Food Recovery Guide Download

Food Banks BC is the provincial association of food banks. Our membership is comprised of 107 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

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

Find a Food Bank To find a member food bank in your community click on the map for the locations or check by city. ​ No food bank in your community? Check with the nearest location to you. Sometimes our rural members have additional depots in nearby communities too.

Food Insecurity in BC Food banks started operating in 1981 as a temporary measure to provide relief to a small number of people experiencing financial hardship. Over 40 years on, the need for food banks in BC has never been greater than it is today. With 382,000 British Columbians living in poverty according to the Market Basket Measure, B.C. currently has the second highest poverty rate (tied with two other provinces) in the country. This number includes 43,000 children in low-income families and 36,000 seniors. The COVID-19 pandemic and the affordability crisis have had a devastating impact on the household budgets of hundreds of thousands of British Columbians. This has resulted in people turning to food banks and other hunger relief supports in record numbers. Combined with the impact of climate change in creating emergency food access and significant challenges for BC’s farmers and producers, it is clear to see how creating dignified access to food, reducing food insecurity, and strengthening our food systems have to be prioritized. Food Banks BC is committed to this work . The Hunger Count ​ Since 1997, Food Banks Canada has conducted the HungerCount, a cross-sectional, census-type survey of most food bank agencies, organizations and programs within and outside of the Food Banks Canada network. ​ The HungerCount provides a national snapshot of what’s happening on the frontlines of the country’s food banks; how many people are using the services, who’s accessing food banks, and why. This information is critical in helping us understand the trends of food bank usage and the policy recommendations that will move us towards tackling hunger and reducing food insecurity in BC. ​ Read the 2023 HungerCount report here .