Staff from the Maida Duncan Women’s Drop-in Centre picking up their food from our agency coolers
We love developing new partnerships with local non-profit organizations as a way to extend our services to as many individuals and families in need as possible. As of January, we are proud to welcome aboard 10 new Community Agency Partners (CAPs), which means that we now have 94 partnerships in total!
Thanks to our generous donors and the dedication from our team, we are happy to announce that we have brought on all of the partners who were on our waitlist since 2015 – a total of 17 new partners!
“I could not be more proud of the GVFB team who in 2 short years have increased healthy nutritious food donations to the extent that we no longer have a 5-year waitlist for agency partners,” says David Long, CEO of the Greater Vancouver Food Bank.
Did you know we have 3 programs that our agency partners can access from? It includes Basic Pantry, Fresh Market and Community Capacity Programs. For more information on these programs, please visit our CAPs page. These organizations are now accessing weekly food support to run their different food programs that support those experiencing food insecurity in our community.
Now, without further ado, let’s meet our new CAPs!
British Columbia Borstal Association
The British Columbia Borstal Association is a not-for-profit that invests in community safety and wellness by providing root cause treatment, intervention, and trauma prevention. They provide both outpatient and residential programs that include access to safe residential care and support, a trauma-informed team, one-to-one counselling, education and training, trauma therapy, and referrals to specialized community resources.
Don’t Go Hungry is a free grocery program for anyone in need in New Westminster and surrounding areas.
The DUDES Club was established in the Vancouver Downtown Eastside in 2010 and since then clubs have been set up in communities across British Columbia. The DUDES Club is a proven model for Indigenous men’s wellness promotion that builds solidarity and brotherhood, enabling men to regain a sense of pride and purpose in their life.
First United Church Social Housing Society
First United Church Social Housing Society is an inner-city ministry of the United Church of Canada committed at its heart to the struggle for social justice, offering programs of advocacy, housing and healing in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. They strive to be a respectful resource in the DTES and to those who are most in need of a welcoming place to be, to find support, and to feel safe.
Lu’ma Native Housing – New Beginnings
Lu’ma Native Housing – New Beginnings provides low-rent housing for Aboriginal people who are homeless. They provide 24-hour support services for residents, including meals, life and employment skill training, health and wellness support, and opportunities to do volunteer work.
Maida Duncan Women’s Drop-in Centre
Maida Duncan Women’s Drop-in Centre offers marginalized women a place to go for snacks, showers, laundry, free clothing and household items, as well as social activities and programs. Hosted by the Elizabeth Fry Society, Maida Duncan Women’s Drop-in Centre is one of their many gender-specific programs that help women break the cycle of poverty, addiction, mental illness, homelessness and crime.
Located on the University of British Columbia campus, Origin Church provides a sense of community for its students and their families, staff, scholars, and everyone alike. They will be providing food hampers to those in need, including international students in isolation.
Pacific Coast Apartments features 96 units for homeless individuals and homeless, at-risk residents. They offer many available programs for their residents, including life skills training, structured volunteer work, employment in social enterprises and access to educational opportunities.
The Budzey provides housing and opportunities for women and families to make connections with a comprehensive range of services and navigate the change from previous housing situations or homelessness into stable, supported and permanent housing. Their staff focus on activities that will strengthen the community and provide services such as liaising with community services and partners, peer-based programming, and community kitchen nights for women and families.
Vancouver Urban Ministries aims to help break the cycle of poverty for some of the most needy families in East Vancouver by providing education to children with learning difficulties. They offer free specialized one-on-one tutoring and music lessons as a means of helping children grow intellectually and emotionally, develop healthy outlooks in life, and reach their fullest potential.
Volunteers and staff organizing the food hampers at Origin Church/University of British Columbia
We could not be more grateful to have the support systems in place to help alleviate hunger and conquer food insecurity within our communities. Healthy food is a basic need, and we will continue working with our CAPs to reach as many people as possible. With the food that we are able to provide, our CAPs can, in turn, make hot and nourishing meals for their variety of clients.
“We’re really excited to join the Food Bank as a new agency partner because it gives us the opportunity to make a difference in people’s and students’ lives. We will be serving about 500 people a week by providing almost 150 food hampers to these families. This creates an opportunity for us to build a community for students and scholars who often work in isolation. Now, they will know that people care for them.” – Craig, Origin Church Pastor.
“Food is a really big part of why people come and visit us. A lot of our clients face issues around homelessness. So, being able to provide them with food and something warm to eat really just makes everybody’s days so much better.” – Isabella, Maida Duncan Women’s Drop-In Centre.
With our spring application forms open, we are looking forward to continue extending our reach across our catchment areas of Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, and the North Shore!
