During the season when local harvest is the main attraction at grocery stores and farm stands, many food banks offer their clients a taste of fresh local bounty as well.
Take, for example, People for a Healthy Community, a nonprofit that operates a food bank and other community services in Gabriola, British Columbia. They recover surplus food, including fresh produce, from a local supermarket. They also grow their own vegetables. When a nearby farm offered to let them use some of its land to expand their gardening program, they applied for a Capacity Boost Grant from Food Banks Canada to help make it possible.
With help from individual donors, companies and philanthropic organizations, Food Banks Canada awards Capacity Boost Grants to food banks to invest in infrastructure such as:
- refrigeration
- emergency generators
- cold transportation
- warehouse equipment
- safe food-handling equipment
- greenhouses and gardens
The goal is to enable food banks to safely accept, store, grow, handle and distribute more food — and fresh food in particular.
People for a Healthy Community used the grant to buy a refrigerator for storing freshly harvested veggies on the farm until they’re picked up, a washing station for cleaning them and reusable food-safe bins for transporting them. These bins also helped to optimize the organization’s food-recovery partnership with the supermarket, as did a steam juicer and food processor for transforming some of the produce into more convenient and longer-lasting forms. Taken together, these capacity investments increased the amount of fresh food available to the food bank’s clients.
“People are excited to have fresh produce, and especially such variety as we can offer with the help of local farmers and producers,” said one of the organization’s volunteers in a report to Food Banks Canada. “Many people express that they couldn’t access these types of food items otherwise. Knowing that kids are getting to experience what this food looks and tastes like fills me with joy.”
Frozen Goodness
In the summer of 2024, the Central Okanagan Food Bank (COFB) in Kelowna and West Kelowna, British Columbia, was serving between 10,000 and 10,500 people each month. This was a big increase from the year before, and it called for bold changes.
Using a Food Banks Canada Capacity Boost Grant, COFB invested in a large walk-in/drive-in freezer. Warren, a long-time volunteer, was enthusiastic. “Before, we were struggling to keep up with the influx of frozen donations, and we had to rush to sort them,” he shared in a report to Food Banks Canada. “Now, with the new freezer, we have time to properly organize everything and make sure nothing goes to waste. It’s rewarding to see how much more we’re able to offer our clients.”
In fact, prior to the new purchase, COFB was turning away generous donations of frozen items due to space constraints, according to CEO Trevor Moss. “The new freezer has strengthened our partnerships with food recovery organizations, local grocers and farms,” he says. “Knowing we have the capacity to manage larger volumes of perishable foods, these partners have increased their donations.”
Not only the quantity but also the quality of food has improved, says Moss. “By being able to offer a wider range of frozen items — particularly meats and prepared meals — we’ve significantly enhanced the nutritional content of the food we distribute,” he explains. “Access to diverse and nutritious food options supports not only physical health but also the overall well-being of our clients.”
