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9 Lower Mainland mayors raising funds to feed the hungry in Mayors’ Food Bank Challenge

“Food insecurity can be an ongoing, often difficult problem to see,” says Chilliwack mayor
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Don Armstrong, food bank coordinator for Salvation Army of Chilliwack. (Jennifer Feinberg/Chilliwack Progress file)

A friendly fundraising competition between B.C. mayors is on now to support food banks in each of their nine communities.

The entire month of May will see the mayors of Chilliwack, Burnaby, North Vancouver, Coquitlam, New Westminster, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Vancouver and White Rock challenging their communities to feed people in need.

“Food insecurity can be an ongoing and often difficult problem to see in every community,” said Chilliwack Mayor Ken Popove.

For example, Chilliwack’s Salvation Army Food Bank serves seniors, adults, and children, with more than 3,800 people helped every month through the food bank, soup kitchen and shelter combined.

An estimated 15 per cent of Chilliwack residents are low income, according to the 2016 Census. About 30 per cent of food bank users are children.

“We have a generous community that has long supported our local food bank,” Popove added. “I know that Chilliwack’s generosity will have a big impact on the Salvation Army’s ability to continue providing nutritious food long after this challenge has ended.”

Donations for the Mayors’ Food Bank Challenge can be made online to individual fundraising pages of participating cities.

Chilliwack’s donation page is https://mayorschallenge.foodbank.bc.ca/fundraiser/chilliwack

Last year’s winner of the Mayors’ Food Bank Challenge was the City of North Vancouver, led by Mayor Linda Buchanan, with $68,905 total money and food raised, which came to $1.20 raised per capita.

Participating cities and mayors include:

Burnaby – Mayor Mike Hurley

Chilliwack – Mayor Ken Popove

North Vancouver – Mayor Linda Buchanan

Coquitlam – Mayor Richard Stewart

New Westminster – Mayor Jonathan Coté

Port Coquitlam – Mayor Brad West

Port Moody – Mayor Rob Vagramov

Vancouver – Mayor Kennedy Stewart

White Rock – Mayor Darryl Walker

READ MORE: Local big box store holds food drive

READ MORE: Emergency responders collect 10,000 food items

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Jennifer Feinberg

About the Author: Jennifer Feinberg

I have been a Chilliwack Progress reporter for 20+ years, covering the arts, city hall, as well as Indigenous, and climate change stories.
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