After the province introduced a new food security funding initiative at its facility, details have now emerged about the financial support received by a nonprofit organization in Burnaby.
The Greater Vancouver Food Bank (GVFB) is receiving $264,035 from a $15-million fund, with the aim of increasing food assistance during the holiday season and into the New Year.
The funding, as outlined in a press release, is intended to enhance fresh food accessibility for low-income residents, fortify food infrastructure, and establish additional regional hubs. Burnaby-Lougheed MLA Katrina Chen emphasized the importance of food security in building a healthier and more resilient community, especially in response to global inflation and disruptions in the food supply chain.
Dan Huang-Taylor, Food Banks BC's Executive director, expressed the significant challenges faced by food banks since 2019, citing increased demand among marginalized populations and individuals with fixed or multiple household incomes. The announcement, made in Burnaby back on August 24, highlighted the pressing need for support as food bank usage reached unprecedented levels in the province's 40-plus years of operation.
The GVFB's Burnaby warehouse played a crucial role in distributing approximately nine million pounds of food last year, serving an average of 900 clients monthly. Over the last five years, the number of clients assisted by the warehouse has nearly tripled, rising from 6,000 to 17,000, underscoring the escalating demand for food assistance.
The six-figure funding coming to GVFB is part of a more extensive investment aimed at promoting food production in communities grappling with rising food insecurity due to global inflation and supply chain disruptions.
The GVFB conducts distributions from its Burnaby warehouse on Winston Street every Friday and Saturday, as well as from Olivet Church in New Westminster (613 Queens Avenue) on Thursdays.
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