The Lower Mainland鈥檚 newest food bank is operating at 鈥渇ull speed,鈥� says Matthew Campbell.
Run by the Cloverdale Community Kitchen, the has seen a lot of traffic recently.
鈥淭he need has grown overnight,鈥� said Campbell, the director of the . 鈥淲e now have about 100 households registered.鈥�
The food bank has only officially been open since March 1, but has been operating since December.
鈥淲e were going to call it the Cloverdale Food Bank, but we鈥檙e getting families from 黑马磁力, Delta, Surrey, and White Rock,鈥� he said. 鈥淧eople are coming from all over.鈥�
Campbell said he鈥檚 getting donations from across the Fraser Valley too.
鈥淐ompanies from Delta all the way out to Abbotsford are donating food to us.鈥�
Campbell said they also serve an additional 100-150 people through partnerships with recovery houses in Surrey, White Rock, Delta, and 黑马磁力.
鈥淭hey can hardly make it with the money they get,鈥� explained Campbell. 鈥淪o we give (the recovery houses) food so they can feed the residents in their care.鈥�
He said they supply six recovery houses. One of them, , in turn, supplies some smaller recovery houses.
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Campbell said anyone can register with the Fraser Valley Regional Food Bank and he encouraged anyone who had lost their job recently because of the pandemic, or anyone that is in need for any reason, to sign up.
Campbell originally set up the food bank to operate like a store where people could walk through and shop for free, just like they were buying their own groceries.
鈥淏ecause of COVID-19, we鈥檙e not allowing people to come inside and shop for their food anymore, but it was designed as a store. So our food bank is unique in that way.鈥�
Campbell said the food bank will revert to the 鈥渟hopping model鈥� when it鈥檚 safe to do so. But until the pandemic eases, and things go back to normal, the food bank will continue to operate under the provincially-mandated physical-distancing rules.
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That means the needy show up and pick from pre-packed grocery carts outside the food bank.
鈥淓verything is already bagged and boxed and ready to go in the parking lot.鈥�
The Fraser Valley Regional Food Bank is open Mondays from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Campbell also said the food bank is looking for people to come down and help out.
鈥淲e can always use volunteers, but especially now, as our older volunteers and our immune-compromised volunteers are not here.鈥�
He said if anyone does want to lend a hand, they can call 604-574-4001, or email Courtney van den Boogaard at courtney@mycck.ca.
Campbell said they are working hard to prepare for an increase in traffic as the economy slows and even more and more people lose their jobs because of the pandemic.
鈥淚 think there is quite a bit of need out there, already, and I think it鈥檚 only going to increase.鈥�
editor@cloverdalereporter.com
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