Renske cooks healthy food in her kitchen thanks to you!

At 20 years old, Renske came to Canada with her family from the Netherlands in 1976. There was no food bank then, and she knew very little English.

In February 2020, shortly after moving into their new home, Renske’s husband (photo on the left) had a stroke. As you can imagine, this added many extra medical expenses to the retired couple’s budget. They registered with the Greater Vancouver Food Bank as clients the following month, in March 2020, just as the pandemic started to take hold.

Renske and her husband really appreciate the fresh healthy food they receive from the Food Bank — thanks to your generosity! — as well as the menu planning approach we offer each week.

“It’s such a wonderful food bank,” Renske explains. “I particularly enjoy the newest nutrition program for Seniors. My husband and I enjoy the greens, hearty soups, and nutritional shakes!”

With the extra food support you help us offer, Renske and her husband are able to pay their medical and dental bills. This means so much — thank you!

Renske puts a lot of care into cooking heart-healthy meals that are rich in vitamins and protein. In fact, Renske even shared one of her go-to recipes that she makes for breakfast in our latest cookbook, Clients in the Kitchen!

Clients in the Kitchen is a collaborative cookbook featuring ten recipes provided by clients of the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. From hearty soups to comforting rice dishes, these cozy recipes give you a glimpse into the lives of seniors, parents, laid-off employees, and newcomers supported by the GVFB.

Thank you for helping seniors and others affected by COVID-19 to continue cooking fresh, healthy meals in their kitchens! We encourage you to download a copy of the cookbook today.


Supporting communities affected by the BC floods

As we are writing this newsletter, a series of devastating storms have hit our province leaving behind massive flooding, mudslides and highway closures. Some communities were evacuated, some lost their farms, and some are completely cut off from the rest of the province.

With you by our side, we are reaching out to those communities to find out how we can help. As of December 1, 2021, we have supplied almost 20,000 lbs of healthy food and supplies to the other food banks in BC.

In the coming weeks, we will continue to reach out to those in need and make sure we help where we can. We are only able to do this because of your kind donations. Thank you once again for your compassion and for being there for your fellow British Columbians through your gifts to the Food Bank.


Karen Hertz: Giving back with thanks each and every month!

“The Greater Vancouver Food Bank was there for me when I was truly hungry and didn’t have the money to buy even one meal. I will never forget how kind, loving and welcoming all of the Food Bank volunteers were.”

Karen is one of our very generous monthly donors. She gives back with thanks for the food she received many years ago when she was going through a very tough time in her life. Karen knows exactly how it feels to be hungry and homeless, without enough money to pay rent or food.

She says, “There’s nothing like real HUNGER to appreciate the blessed feeling of a full and warm tummy and the memory of being treated like a valuable human being.”

Monthly giving is convenient, cost effective and adds up to a whole lot of help throughout the year! If you’d like more information or would like to sign up for a monthly donation, please get in touch with Mandy Wu at 604-216-2328 or by e-mail at MandyW@foodbank.bc.ca.



UPDATE: How you’ve helped throughout COVID-19

We’re almost at the 2 year mark of COVID-19. It’s been longer and more challenging than anyone expected. We hope you and your loved ones are doing as well as can be.

Our deepest thanks to you and all our community stakeholders for playing a part in abiding by the provincial health and safety guidelines. Because of your generosity, we were able to introduce and maintain safety protocols through frequent sanitization, the use of masks and gloves, physical distancing, and the application of plexiglass barriers. You’ve helped create a safe and inclusive
environment so nutritious food can be distributed to children, adults, and seniors every week at the Greater Vancouver Food
Bank. Not a single day of distribution was missed.

Thank you as well for your compassion and kindness to feed those most in need! While the pandemic has affected every part of our operations, your loyal support has furthered our reach into the community. With your help, we were able to provide more resources towards school districts across our catchment area that experienced an increased need.

Starting January 2022, we will be partnering with 6 schools to support their daily snacks and meal programs, and their home economics programs.


You support people like Sandrine through strong community partnerships

Sandrine moved to Vancouver from a small town in Africa in 2009. She settled in East Vancouver, married, and had three beautiful daughters over the years. But, Sandrine felt isolated without her extended family nearby. She also struggles with mobility impairment.

In search of community, Sandrine discovered Collingwood Neighbourhood House (CNH) in 2015. She enrolled her children in CNH’s
afterschool daycare and started receiving weekly food support from their Emergency Food Hamper program, with food provided by
the Greater Vancouver Food Bank – and you! Pre-COVID-19, Sandrine also participated in CNH’s Community Kitchen, a program to share skills and cook together.

“I have met so many wonderful people at Collingwood Neighbourhood House. My daughters also have so many friends to play with, too! I cannot wait for COVID-19 to be over so that I can invite everyone over for dinner!” Sandrine exclaims.

CNH is one of the Food Bank’s 112 Community Agency Partners (CAPs). With your continued generosity, these CAPs help us reach and support an even broader spectrum of people in need. These organizations provide people with specific and unique needs in our community with easy access to food and other services.

Thank you for helping strengthen these partnerships with our CAPs. Together we are making sure all of our neighbours are taken care of!