Support your local SPCA and Food Bank

 In the middle of the coldest, shortest month of the year we may forget that there are people and their pets who need our help Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous BC SPCA locations informally offered food if those in need came in and asked for help. Since April 2020, they have significantly increased their food bank outreach services to meet the needs of people in challenging times.

Currently, animal centres offer local food bank support through the following distribution streams:

• Delivery to community partners: The SPCA provides pet food and supplies to established community food banks or other social services/community partners to meet their needs.
• Direct distribution at BC SPCA locations: The SPCA distributes food and supplies to clients who come to their location during open hours or on an appointment basis.
• Pet supply drop-off to identified communities: The SPCA drops off food and supplies with remote or Indigenous communities if there is a need.
• Off-site food bank: the SPCA sets up a community food bank in a targeted low-income area, or at a partner organization’s distribution site. An example is Charlie’s Pet Food Bank in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, a flagship program for the BC SPCA that has been running for over 20 years.

Support your local Foodbank and your local SPCA to help our neighbours who may need our help. Somethings to think about:

·   More than 50% of BC’s food banks are in rural areas (less than 10K population)

·   More than 50% of BC’s food banks are run completely by volunteers

·   More than 80,000 individuals are assisted by our food banks every month in BC

·   0,000 seniors each month access a food bank

·   Each month, BC food banks provide an additional 496,000 meals through shelters, soup kitchens & school lunches

Many food banks go beyond the original mandate of basic food support.   75% offer ‘food-focused’ programs. 45% offer ‘skill building’ programs. All this in addition to providing emergency help, while they seek long term solutions to hunger and food insecurity such as:

·   Recovery of surplus perishable foods

·   Community gardens 

·   Home canning and preserving classes 

·   Community kitchens 

·   Nutritional education, cooking, baking classes

·   Farm Gleaning Projects 

·   Supplying and Supporting School Lunch, Snack and After School programs 

·   Providing Food for Emergency Centres 

·   Meeting the Special Needs – seniors, babies, children, pregnant or nursing women

·   Drop-in Meals 

·   Farmer’s Markets

·   Working Together with Local Farmers 

·   Reclamation of surplus food 

·   Holistic Carefree dental care, shelters, temporary housing, showers, clothing, laundry

·   Nutritional Classes

·   Delivery & mobile food banks 

·   Networking to services 

·    Budgeting help

·   Employment search support