The Greater Vancouver Food Bank’s (GVFB) second annual food drive, which included New Westminster, on Saturday did not reach last year’s total and was less than half the organization’s goal.
The food bank distributed 38,000 bags to households in Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster and the North Shore last week. The bags asked residents to put nutritious, non-perishable items in the bags and volunteers would come around and pick them up Saturday.
The GVFB collected 44,350 pounds of food which was less than the inaugural haul of 53,000 pounds. In announcing this year’s drive, food bank officials set a goal of 100,000 pounds. The food bank reports the food collected in New Westminster and Burnaby was taken to a collection site set up at Save-On-Foods at Willingdon and Kingsway where the total food donated was 11,888 pounds.
In addition to the food collected, $33,460 was raised through donations, including $557 at the Burnaby collection. The GVFB says, given its purchasing power, every dollar donated translates to $3 worth of food.
Food bank chief executive officer Aart Schuurman Hess said more than 26,500 individuals access its services in those communities. The GVFD runs a weekly food bank on Thursdays in New Westminster at Olivet Baptist Church (613 Queen’s Avenue).
