The Surrey Food Bank says it might not be able to meet the needs of all its clients unless more donations come in.
Donations at all of its depots, especially the Guildford and North Delta ones, have dropped 30 per cent in the past two years, food bank communications manager Vijay Naidu said.
“We have never seen a similar trend before,” he said. “This could be due to the effects of the pandemic, shortage of food supply, supply chain disruption, droughts, etc.”
Inflation and staff shortages at the food bank are also having a negative impact, he added.
Despite all these struggles, staff and volunteers are not backing down.
“Our team is working hard and finding ways to tackle the needs by helping conduct food drives and spreading awareness about food insecurity,” Naidu said. “And we’re currently majorly understaffed, which is not helping either.”
The food bank serves more than 17,000 clients monthly, with 41 per cent being under 18 and 11 per cent being seniors.
Non-perishable food items are especially needed. This includes canned food, pasta sauce, pasta, peanut butter, baby formula, juice boxes and fruit cups. The food bank is also in need of baby diapers, wet wipes and fresh produce from farms.
On a positive note, Naidu said the food bank is seeing an increase in the number of people applying to volunteer. There is currently more than 900 people volunteering and more than 500 pending volunteer applications.
Naidu emphasized that the Surrey Food Bank is the only accredited and registered food bank that serves clients in Surrey and North Delta who live north of 40 Avenue. Sources White Rock and South Surrey, which is also an accredited member, serves clients in the White Rock and South Surrey area (from 0 Ave to 40 Ave; from 120 St. to 196 St.).
Both food banks are accredited members of Food Banks BC (FBBC) and Food Banks Canada (FBC).
Being accredited means Surrey Food Bank abides by Food Bank BC’s code of ethics. This includes things such as proper and safe storage and handling of food, and they will not discriminate based on age, race, sex, sexual identity, religion, etc.
“Anyone can become a registered food bank, but to qualify for being accredited, one has to abide by their strict policies and guidelines as implemented by FBBC and FBC and to go through their step-by-step vetting process,” Naidu said.
Being accredited also means the Surrey Food Bank abides by federal laws that govern how organizations handle personal information during commercial activities to ensure its clients’ and donors’ information is kept private and safe.
Being a member of Food Banks Canada and B.C. comes with many perks, Naidu said.
Food Banks Canada has programs to support its member food banks. It receives fresh, frozen, and non-perishable food products from retailers such as Walmart and Loblaws and redistributes it to its member food banks, including Surrey Food Bank.
“This is one of the primary reasons that all of our clients are eligible to receive food twice per month and once per week if the client is pregnant and has a baby that’s under a year old.”
To donate to Surrey Food Bank, visit them online to find donation drop-off locations.
