Loblaw food drive to stock the shelves at the Maple Ridge food bank

With high inflation sending grocery prices soaring and housing prices through the roof, more and more people are finding themselves dependent on the food bank in Maple Ridge.

Evan Seal, general manager of the Friends In Need Food Bank, noted that over the past year they have been seeing an average of 25-30 new registrations per month.

So, the annual Spring Food Drive by Loblaw Companies Limited is coming at just the right time to put food on the shelves.

From March 30 to April 16, Shipley’s No Frills in Maple Ridge will be collecting donations of both food and funds for the charity.

“Many Maple Ridge residents are facing food insecurity and rely on their local food bank for help,” said store owner Dan Shipley.

“Loblaw and Food Banks Canada have been partnering on the Spring Food Drive for 15 years to help provide relief for those facing food insecurity across Canada. We’ve seen firsthand how generous Maple Ridge community members are, and we know that they will continue to support their neighbours in need,” he added.

All donations from the food drive will go directly to the Maple Ridge food bank to support community members in need.

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The Spring Food Drive is a nation-wide program that raised a total of $2.1 million in in-store cash donations last year at locations across Canada, including a $100,000 corporate match donation from Loblaw. More than 1.9 million pounds of food for food banks was also raised nationally.

In British Columbia, $242,985 was raised and more than 158 thousand pounds of food were donated to local food banks in all parts of the province.

Locally Loblaw donated $7,228.10 to the Friends In Need Food Bank.

“Loblaw stores including Shipley’s No Frills in Maple Ridge and Real Canadian Superstore in Pitt Meadows have provided tremendous support through their storefront donation boxes to help us supplement the increased demand,” said Seal, adding that food drives like this helps the food bank keep their doors open and their shelves stocked.

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The food bank is in most need of healthy non-perishable foods like wholegrain cereals, peanut butter, pasta and pasta sauces, canned fish, meat, vegetables and fruits, baby formula and shelf-stable milk products.

Cash donations are also needed, as they provide flexibility for food banks to apply to the most needed areas of their operations.

Shipley’s No Frills is located at 22427 Dewdney Trunk Road in Maple Ridge.