For the more than 28,000 people in the Lower Mainland that rely on food banks to make ends meet, summer can be especially difficult, according to food bank staff.
New Westminster has two food bank locations, and each summer it's a struggle to keep the shelves stocked. From 2011 to 2012, overall usage of the depots increased eight per cent for July and August, according to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society.
In order to help bridge this gap, the food bank society is trying something a little different.
"In an attempt to be a better food bank and increase the amount of nutrition that we're able to provide, we've totally retooled (the handout bags)," says Kay Thody, communications director for the society.
Because the food bank usually starts running out of donations that come in during the holiday season in the summer, the society relies on purchasing food in order to meet the needs of its clients, Thody says.
"We are really fortunate where we are, our rear ends are kind of plunked in farm," she says. "We do have the opportunity to work with farmers, . so now we actually have farmers growing crops for us."
By buying in bulk, the society makes the most out of its money and supplies fresh produce to people who use food banks, in New Westminster and the Lower Mainland.
In New Westminster, the society gets an extra helping hand providing fresh produce to those in need. The local community garden society has three gardens throughout the Royal City, each with its own food bank plot. The food is grown by volunteers, free of charge, and donated to the local food bank depots.
But Thody says it's not just the society that needs to rethink what's being donated. People should also consider the nutritional value of the foods they're donating, she says.
"We're asking people to spend a bit more time looking at that label when they are thinking of making a donation," she says.
Instead of grabbing just any old item from the shelf, Thody says the society is encouraging people to read the label to ensure they're donating the healthiest foods.
"We just completed a nine-month process with nutritionists from Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, in which we had two nurses and dieti-tians . work with us and completely redo the bag program," she says.
Throughout the process, dietitians and nurses created a template for the society that outlined which foods were the healthiest and which should be removed from the food packages.
"A lot of the tinned products have a tendency to be very, very high in sodium," she explains. "Sodium is one of those sneaky detrimental things, and so often times there's products available at a very similar price that is a healthier option."
The society is now moving towards items such as 100 per cent fruit juices instead of fruit cocktail, and whole grains instead of white flour and sugar.
In support of the society's shift away from traditional handouts to a model that fosters self-sufficiency and healthy eating, the society is hosting an event on July 22. Seeding Change is a day-long event where people can come by and learn about sustainable gardening, plant a seed in one of the society's pallets or take some seeds home. The event starts at 7 a.m. and runs until 7 p.m. at the north side of the Vancouver Art Gallery at 750 Hornby St.
For more information, visit www.food bank.bc.ca.
