Maple Ridge food bank to benefit from nationwide grocery chain drive

The Friends in Need Food Bank will benefit from a cross-Canada spring food drive which will include No Frills in Maple Ridge.

There is more demand on food banks across Canada, as the rising cost of living means more people are having to turn to food banks to help keep themselves and their families fed. At the same time, food banks are also coping with rising costs.

Loblaw Companies Limited is stepping up with its annual Spring Food Drive that launches Thursday. No Frills will be collecting donations of food and funds for two weeks beginning March 31 through to the Easter weekend. Canadian Superstore in Pitt Meadows will also be participating.

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All donations made locally go directly to the local food bank to benefit community members in need.

“We are very fortunate to have two Loblaws stores in our community - Superstore in Pitt Meadows and NoFrills in Maple Ridge,” said Evan Seal General Manager of Friends in Need.

“They do several fundraising campaigns and food drives each year which raise a significant amount money and pounds of food,” he noted.

Between the two stores the local food bank received $7,228 for their Holiday Season Campaign during December – that generated $165,000 in B.C., and saw more than 192,000 pounds of food donated across the province.

For those who are unsure of what to give, monetary donations are an easy and highly effective option, according too the food banks. Cash provides the most flexibility for food banks to fill gaps in their operations wherever they are most needed.

“Maple Ridge residents are very community-minded. Even a two-dollar donation at the checkout goes a long way when many people contribute,” said Tonya Lagrasta of Loblaw. “Similarly, just one or two items added your cart for the in-store donation bin become hundreds of pounds of food when the entire community gets involved.”

Along with monetary donations, food banks are most in need of healthy non-perishable items – the same items you would buy to stock your own pantry – such as wholegrain cereals, peanut butter, pasta and pasta sauces, canned fish, meat, vegetables and fruits, baby formula and shelf-stable milk products.

“As we look forward to warmer days ahead, the reality is that the need for food banks remains high coming out of the winter months, especially given the challenges of the current economic environment,” said Kirstin Beardsley, CEO of Food Banks Canada. “That’s why we are so grateful for generous partners like Loblaw Companies Ltd., who step forward year after year to support our neighbours in need with initiatives like the Spring Food Drive.”

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