British Columbia

Vancouver Food Bank donations running low

The Greater Vancouver Food Bank could use some help this holiday season.

Food bank feeds 28,000 people a week, but says donations are down 18 per cent

Greater Vancouver Food Bank CEO Aart Hesse tells CBC supplies of food are running low. The food bank feeds about 28,000 people a week. (CBC)

The Greater Vancouver Food Bank could use some help this holiday season.

CEO Aart Shuurman Hess said donations were down 50 percent as of November, and are still down 18 per compared to last year at this time.

"We need to refill the warehouse and make sure we can stretch for the next couple of months the food that we have available here," he said.

East Van Moving delivering 2,000 kg of food to the Greater Vancouver Food bank on Christmas Eve. (CBC)

Hess said the food bank feeds about 28 thousand people a week, but even as he spoke a crew from East Van Moving was dropping off 2,000 kilograms of food.

Shurrman doesn't think the food bank's shortage has anything to do with people's generosity.

"I think a lot of people are really busy," he said.  "And of course a lot of other great organizations out there, are also looking for donations."

Shurrman said non-perishable food  for the food bank can be dropped off at any supermarket in Vancouver, North Vancouver, Burnaby and New Westminster.

Cash donations go even further.

"We have incredible buying power," he said. We support local farms and we can turn that one dollar into about three dollars worth of food."