Greater Vancouver Food Bank Launches New Spring Challenge to Fight Food Insecurity
May 1st, 2024
Burnaby, BC – Effective May 01, 2024, the Greater Vancouver Food Bank (GVFB) will launch the first-ever Spring Food Bank Challenge, uniting the five municipalities served to address food insecurity in a friendly fundraising competition.
Formerly known as the MAYor’s Food Bank Challenge, the Spring Food Bank Challenge is an opportunity for the entire community to lead by example and raise funding for their neighbours in need. Instead of depending on local mayors to lead the charge, the GVFB will rally the entire Greater Vancouver community, including mayors, city councilors, schools, community members, and more.
The spring timing of the challenge is critical to the GVFB’s fundraising efforts when the need for support doubles amongst families and school-aged children. With the closure of school food programs from June to September and the increased cost of daycare needs, these families see an increase in costs of up to $1000 per child per month in the summer. School-aged children aged 6 to 18 make up nearly 20% of all GVFB clients and are the ones who will be hit the hardest by food insecurity in the coming months.
“The need in our communities has never been greater. People donate; they often do so during the giving season in December. They don’t realize that the summer is such a difficult time for families and those with children,” says Greater Vancouver Food Bank CEO David Long. “By uniting the entire community for a new Spring Challenge, we hope to raise money and awareness for the children and families who will struggle the most in the coming months.”
As the cost of living rises, more and more community residents are turning to food banks to help make ends meet, with a growing average of 15,000 clients served monthly! All funds raised through the Spring Food Bank Challenge will help provide healthy food to those in need across Vancouver, North Vancouver, New Westminster, and Burnaby. The area that raises the most funds per capita (based on Census 2021 Population data) will be declared the challenge winner!
To add a little extra fun to the challenge this year, 50 residents in the winning city will receive a pair of tickets to Foodstock – A Food Bank Fundraiser Festival! Taking place on Sunday, June 23, Foodstock is a one-day festival event featuring Yukon Blonde and The Matinee on stage, as well as local breweries and wineries, local artisans, food trucks, and yard games at Swangard Stadium! No donation is necessary to enter to win the tickets, which will be available through a contest link.
Learn more about the Spring Food Bank Challenge by visiting: springchallenge.foodbank.bc.ca.
About the Greater Vancouver Food Bank (GVFB): The GVFB is a non-profit organization with a mission to provide healthy food to those in need. The GVFB provides assistance to over 15,000 people each month through direct distribution in Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, and the North Shore. The GVFB also provides food support to 130+ community agencies throughout these communities, such as housing agencies, women and children’s shelters, transition houses and after-school programs, which in turn provide meals and snacks to thousands of people each week.
Media Contact: Emma Whiten, Communications Manager, Greater Vancouver Food Bank [email protected] – 604 841 0982
