A food bank serving single parents with disabilities says Food Bank B.C. has rejected its call for assistance.
The people behind food delivery service Foodbank on Wheels say they want access to government funding. To do this, their organization must become a member of Food Bank BC, the province's food bank umbrella organization.
Under B.C.'s food bank funding model, the province provides funding to B.C. food banks, which then distributes the funds to member organizations on a regular basis. Non-member organizations can apply for occasional funding.
James Silcox, Deputy Director of Foodbank on Wheels, said: “I was turned away once, tried again and was turned away again, mostly because they said there was already another food bank in the area.'' It's because I was hurt,” he said. -president.
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Brittany Lawrence, a single mother of two who lives in Port Coquitlam, said having food banks deliver groceries to her home has been a big help.
“I had a seizure and it was really difficult. There were times when I couldn't even walk at all,” Lawrence said.
Food Bank on Wheel, a Christian organization, operates out of a rented basement in Pitt Meadows and serves more than 100 families each week. It was registered as a charity in 2018 and relies solely on donations from the community. To receive government funding, you must become a member of the B.C. Food Bank.
Small, specialist food banks are not the only ones having difficulty accessing this funding. Delta Air Lines' Guru Nanak Food Bank also tried to become a member, but was denied because there was already a food bank in the area.
“Problematic” funding model
The state's food bank funding model has been criticized by at least one expert.
“I think this funding model is very problematic,” says Graham Riches, a professor emeritus of social work at the University of British Columbia who has studied food banks around the world for decades.
“This is taxpayer money, so why are we using public funds to send it to food banks in B.C. to distribute?”
Food Bank BC said in a statement that it is currently conducting a comprehensive review of its membership model. The review is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Dan van Taylor, executive director of Food Bank BC, previously told CBC News that demand for food banks is at an all-time high, with 98,000 people expected to access food banks by March 2024. He said he is doing so.
“With the emergence of a huge number of hunger relief agencies, we are looking at our agency and membership models to expand and reach more agencies, and to reach more British Columbians. “We needed to find a way to build a strong network,” he said.
In the meantime, the umbrella organization said people are welcome to call Foodbank on Wheels again to discuss membership, which is encouraging news for Foodbank on Wheels volunteers.