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More than $85,000 raised for food banks

A virtual food bank drive held in April and May brought in more than $85,000 for four food banks on the Sunshine Coast to meet increased demand during the COVID-19 crisis.
food banks
From Left: Darrell Pilgrim of the Salvation Army food bank in Gibsons, Andrea Hobbs of the SCCS food bank in Sechelt, Susan Kimm-Jones of St. Bart’s in Gibsons and Joka Wright of Pender Harbour’s food bank.

A virtual food bank drive held in April and May brought in more than $85,000 for four food banks on the Sunshine Coast to meet increased demand during the COVID-19 crisis.

Rather than request food donations, the organizations requested cash donations only, to comply with public health restrictions.

The past eight weeks have been “incredible,” said Norm Blair, who oversees operations, in an email. For starters, about 90 per cent of the volunteers at the largest food bank on the Sunshine Coast had to step down due to COVID-19 protocols. A younger crop stepped up, said Blair, and the bank overhauled its operations, which they plan to keep in place after the pandemic is over because it streamlined the process.

While Blair said the increase in demand at the Sechelt food bank, operated by Sunshine Coast Community Services (SCCS), has been marginal, others saw a sharp increase.

Demand doubled in Pender Harbour, for example.

“During the COVID-19 crunch, we had to open the food bank every Monday to be able to serve the demand,” said coordinator Joka Wright. Normally the non-registered food bank operated by the Pender Harbour Community Church distributes food twice a month.

In Gibsons, a food bank operated out of St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Church experienced a “big spike in demand” over March and demand has remained steady, said co-coordinator Susan Kimm-Jones. In response, the food bank distributed food bi-monthly rather than once a month.

“Each food bank day we have one or two people who have never used a food bank, which makes the extra time we spend worthwhile,” Kimm-Jones said.

Darrell Pilgrim of Gibsons-based Salvation Army food bank said they served 20 per cent more people during the height of the demand and the money raised “helped us stay afloat to cover food and business expenses.”

The virtual drive also brought more collaboration to the Sunshine Coast’s four food banks, say its coordinators.

For example, Kimm-Jones said food bank representatives take part in regular virtual meetings and St. Bart’s has donated surplus food to the Pender Harbour food bank, while the Sechelt food bank has supplied St. Bart’s. In another example, Gibsons cereal company Holy Crap donated two pallets of their product to the Salvation Army, which distributed it to the other food banks.

Blair said the virtual drive “allowed the food banks to purchase food each needed as well as gain greater volume of food with the purchasing power and relationships each has in the community.

“The virtual food drive turned out to be a blessing. We thank the community for the generosity and support of those in need.”

The donation webpage on the SCCS website will be taken down Friday, June 19, but each food bank will continue to accept donations.