19. Richmond Food Bank – Mapping Procurement + Distribution

Organization Information

Organization Name

Richmond Food Bank Society

Mission and Vision of Organization

Mission

To be a caring organization that provides food assistance, advocacy and related support to community members in need

Vision

A caring community where no one goes hungry

Guiding Principles + Values

The Richmond Food Bank Society believes in acquiring and sharing surplus food with those in need. We serve our clients regardless of race, colour, national or ethnic origin, citizenship, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, income source, age, mental or physical ability

Our Values

• Respect
• Service
• Cooperation
• Advocacy
• Accountability

Contact Information

• Primary Contact Person(s): Hajira Hussain
• Email: hajira@richmondfoodbank.org
• Phone: 604-271-5609
• Address: 100-5800 Cedarbridge Way, Richmond BC
• Website: www.richmondfoodbank.org

Preferred Method of Contact

• Best method(s) to contact: Email, Phone
• Best day(s) to contact:Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays
• Best time(s) to contact: Mornings, Afternoons

Project Description

The Richmond Food Bank Society (RFBS) is a dynamic hub providing food assistance and related support to over 1400 individuals each week. We recover surplus food from local businesses and grocery stores 7 days a week and distribute The RFBS has ramped up its perishable food offering for its clients. Last year we recovered over 2 million pounds of food out of which 70% was perishable food. The need to increase our perishable food recovery was identified by a former LFS350 student group and we are grateful that they were able to identify this significant need. With this project we would like to:

• Track and plot the sources of food procurement and the points of food distribution.
• Highlight the issue of avoidable food waste in our community and the role of the Richmond Food Bank in preventing usable food from going into the landfill
• Determine if the quality and quantity of food provided at the RFBS is in line with the Canada Food Guide

The anticipated project deliverables are:

• A detailed analysis and impact report on the sources of food procurement and the points of distribution
• A survey report detailing the perceptions of our clients, volunteers and community members about food received/distributed at the food bank
• Recommendations or suggestions for future food recovery

What challenge or issue does the project aim to address?

Balancing the issue of avoidable food waste with our food recovery efforts while ensuring that the food that we are providing is healthy and safe for all. Our mission is to provide food assistance and related support to those in need. If we are able to address the issue of food insecurity then our clients will hopefully be in a better position to tackle other issues that are preventing them from moving away from the poverty cycle.

Student Assets and Skills (preferred or required)

• Good communication, research and writing skills
• Microsoft excel, PowerPoint and graphs Canva or any other graphic designing software
• Ability to speak Cantonese or Mandarin a plus

Student Assets and Skills (to be developed through the project)

• Report writing, scheduling meetings, survey skills, analyzing skills

Is a criminal record check required?

No

Project Location

Richmond Food Bank Society, 100-5800 Cedarbridge Way, Richmond BC

Preferred Days of Week and Hours

M-F 9am-3pm

Project/Partner Orientation Materials

Students are advised to read about the Richmond Food Bank on our website, and follow us our social media channels to get an idea of our work and our partnerships.

Of the following materials, each group member should review three or more of these resources before the first meeting. Please discuss and ensure the group as a whole has covered all the readings so that you are familiar with the material before the first meeting.

• The Avoidable Crisis of Food Waste-Second Harvest Jan 2019
• Food Loss and Waste Strategy for Canada-National Zero Waste Council
• Reduce, Reuse, recycle, rescue…
• Canada’s Healthy Food Guide
• How to Evolve Your Food Bank into a Force for Change (readings and manual)
• Riches, G. (2018). Food bank nations: Poverty, corporate charity and the right to food. New York: Routledge (Available online from UBC Library; students should read the Introduction, pp.1-13)
• Please request the relevant past LFS350 student reports from your TA

Additional Project/Partner Orientation Materials

The following will be provided at the first community partner meeting:

• In person tour of the warehouse

Related Community Service Opportunities for Students

• Volunteering at one of our distributions is the best way to orient the students to what we do. It is also an excellent community service opportunity as the students will be serving our clients and working and learning alongside our team of amazing volunteers.