We are now into the 5th month of our COVID Emergency Food Delivery Program, providing home food delivery 6 days a week to over 550 households in East Vancouver. To date, we have delivered 3000 food boxes. Thankfully, a number of households no longer need these food supports, however, we still receive new referrals weekly to support individuals and families experiencing hardship due to COVID. For this reason, we are planning to continue this program at least until Dec.
We are also proud to be providing high quality food hampers packed with lots of fruits and veggies and other healthy staples while minimizing all processed foods. We are especially happy to be sourcing some wonderful local and organic produce with summer upon us and are very grateful to the many businesses that have supported our food program either through donations or purchasing for us at cost. Here is where some of our food is coming from.
- $4,000 worth of donated organic veggies from Fractal Farm
- Roughly 14 crates weekly of organic veggies from the City of Vancouver Parks Board Sunset Nursery
- Donated veggies and other food from theTrout Lake Farmers Market every two weeks
- Fresh harvested greens from the Britannia School Garden
- Fresh purchased fruits and veggies from Freshpoint wholesale
- Purchased at cost and donated grains, legumes, beans, rice, and seeds from the Nut Hut
- Purchased food staples at cost including canned salmon, tuna, and sardines, tomato sauce and pasta, peanut butter, milk, eggs, and olive oil from the East End Food Co-op
- Food recovery donations from Choices Food Market, Van Whole, and Discovery Organics
- Donated Bread from Livia, Rock, Rosemary Rock Salt, Panne Formaggio, and Cobbs
- Greater Vancouver Foodbank donations of canned food, dry goods and other staples
- Purchased and donated prepared meals from Eternal Abundance, Italian Cultural Centre, Vancouver Food Runners, and Save on Meats
- Donations from Pasture 2 Plate, Havana Restaurant, Tyybeh Catering, Lotus Light, Acorn Restaurant, Liquids and Solids, Nature’s Path, and Cafe Justica.
Many community members have let us know how grateful they are for these food deliveries.
And while it is important that we are able to support households in this way and at this time, we have also stated our dislike of the food charity model. What is clear to us is that people need the income supports, including affordable housing to purchase healthy food of their own choosing ….as is everyone’s right, no matter what their life situation. For this reason, we urge you to check out and support the 300 to Live campaign www.300tolive.org, which is calling on the BC Government to maintain the $300 monthly rate increase to income and disability assistance and further increase the rates to at least the poverty line.
Finally, a big thank you to all of you who supported our Gofundme campaign having raised over $30,000. And also a big thank you to Community Food Centres Canada, The Vancouver Foundation, VanCity, and United Way for their funding.
Grandview Woodland Food Connection 