Real people making a real difference in the fight against hunger
With a national network consisting of food banks, agencies, and provincial associations, Food Banks Canada is proud to be part of a community that is driven by a passion to impact lives for the better. These are the stories that feed our desire to make a difference.
We are always interested in hearing more about the individuals in food banking across Canada! This month, our spotlight is on Rachael Wilson from the Ottawa Food Bank. What is your role in food banking? I am the CEO of the Ottawa Food Bank. My role is to help achieve our short and long-terms goals…
Food Banks Canada is committed to truth and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and building positive relationships with Indigenous communities across Canada. As our CEO, Kirstin Beardsley, told the Toronto Star for a story on why food alone won’t solve hunger, building partnerships with Indigenous communities is “about that community being in the driver’s seat, in…
Back in July, we told you about how the Ikurraq Food Bank in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut demonstrated its ability to be nimble and creative by turning donated P.E.I. potatoes into delicious tuktu poutine. But the Ikurraq Food Bank isn’t the only organization in the network of over 4,750 hunger relief organizations supported by Food Banks…
When the Cherryville Food & Resources Society received a grant in 2017 to support a collective community garden initiative, food bank president Sharon Harvey says she knew exactly who to call to get growing. As a small, rural community in the North Okanagan area of B.C. with a population of less than 1,000, Harvey says…
2021 was the best year yet for the Ottawa Food Bank’s Community Harvest Program. With over 167,000 pounds of fruit and vegetables produced for clients in need across the national capital region last year, Community Harvest Manager Jason Gray says the program was able to reap a record-breaking crop through the generosity and dedication of…
Back in 2010, a community-minded neighbour in Saskatoon was inspired to repurpose a vacant lot that was overgrown with waist-high weeds as a productive plot for the Saskatoon Food Bank & Learning Centre. Since then, the 1.5-acre urban farm has been able to grow almost 200,000 pounds of nourishing produce for emergency food hampers. But…
There’s something wholesome about getting your hands dirty in the garden and growing your own food. That’s if you ask Alex Boyd, the executive director of Fredericton’s Greener Village food bank in New Brunswick. “There’s just something therapeutic about working the ground, being outside, and getting the fresh air and the sunlight,” Boyd says. “I…
We are always interested in hearing more about the individuals in food banking across Canada! This month, our spotlight is on Dan Huang-Taylor from Food Banks BC. What is your role in food banking? I am the executive director for Food Banks BC. I am part of a team of six staff that support our…
There’s a lot more to food banking in Canada than meets the eye. In the network of over 4,750 hunger relief organizations supported by Food Banks Canada across the country, donations of money and food — combined with local storage and distribution capacity — are brought together by food banks of all different sizes in…
When life gives you potatoes, make tuktu poutine! That’s what the Ikurraq Food Bank in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut did after receiving 22,500 pounds of P.E.I. potatoes distributed by Food Banks Canada between March and May this spring. Utilizing its strong food recovery network, the Ikurraq Food Bank secured funding to purchase cheese and gravy, and…
