Donations urgently needed to continue feeding program
April 24, 2020
Vancouver, B.C.
When a crisis hits, the most vulnerable in our communities are most affected. The Covid-19
outbreak has left many people without enough food to eat, due to it being unaffordable,
unavailable, or inaccessible with self-isolation. Weeks into the pandemic, there are still many
who need our help.
The Covid-19 Emergency Feeding Program, a collaborative effort between four key partners --
The Giustra Foundation, Food Stash Foundation, Savoury Chef, and Vancouver Food Runners,
is attempting to tackle this desperate need by extending its initial service of two weeks with an
additional two weeks.
“The need continues to grow as people are out of work longer due to the pandemic restrictions –
with a greater impact on our most vulnerable. I encourage other donors and community leaders
to join me in these efforts in reaffirming the importance of community. The values of compassion
and generosity will enable us to emerge from these dark days stronger and more empathetic,
caring societies”, said Frank Giustra, founder of The Giustra Foundation.
The Covid-19 Emergency Feeding Program extension, thanks to The Giustra Foundation’s
generous donations another 2,000 meals will be delivered over the next two weeks to local
charities, including: The KidSafe Project, City Reach Care Society, Atira Women’s Resource
Society, YWCA Cause We Care House, and YWCA Crabtree Corner -- who support children
and families during these difficult times.
The Giustra Foundation provided a generous donation and its board director, Lara Dauphinee,
was instrumental in the extraordinary task of getting the program running in only five days. The
program is truly a collaborative community effort. Food Stash Foundation proudly acts as charity
sponsor and collaborator among their local partners. The meals are prepared by Savoury Chef
Foods, an established catering company in Strathcona. These healthy meals are then quickly
picked up and delivered to those in need by Vancouver Food Runners – a non-profit volunteer
food delivery service. After only two weeks, The Covid-19 Emergency Feeding Program has
helped thousands in need, and the positive feedback has been overwhelming.
We anticipate there will still be need in the coming weeks and urge those who can help to
support or get involved today:
To DONATE to the COVID-19 Emergency Feeding Program, please visit giustrafoundation.org
To VOLUNTEER your time and help deliver meals, please visit vancouverfoodrunners.com
To get INVOLVED with Food Stash Foundation, please visit foodstash.ca/getinvolved
Feedback from recipients:
“The prepared meals we have received from The Giustra Foundation have been a wonderful
and much-needed addition to the fresh groceries and shelf-stable items that we are able to
provide for our 12 pantries and 500 families in need. We have also been delivering these
delicious meals to our families who require home delivery. Our food pantries are seeing longer
lines every day, and the need is only growing within our community. We would be incredibly
grateful for The Giustra Foundation's continued support.” - KidSafe Project Society
“As we enter another week we continue to see the need to support women and children through
COVID-19. An aspect of our support is ensuring women and children receive the proper
resources to stay healthy during this time. The meals provided by The Giustra Foundation have
fed women and children across our Vancouver and Surrey programs, encompassing 7 outreach
and housing locations.” - Atira Women’s Society
“In these unprecedented times, Food Stash is privileged to work alongside these incredible
partners who continuously show up for our community and are relentless in the way they
support our fellow neighbours, many of whom are facing tough times now and ahead as
COVID-19 continues to progress.” - Julia Hunter, Executive Director of Food Stash Foundation
“This week is national volunteer week, and I think it is important to recognize how the
Vancouver community has come together in such a short period of time. Within 4 weeks,
Vancouver Food Runners had 140 volunteers driving food from businesses to organizations in
need. We rely entirely on volunteers and without their dedication we would not be able to bring
food to the most vulnerable people in our community. Thanks to the Giustra Foundation’s
incredible donation and the high-quality food from Savoury Chef, our volunteers will be able to
drop off 4000 meals for children and families in our community.” - Tristan, Founder of Vancouver Food Runners
More information about our partners:
The Giustra Foundation
The Giustra Foundation is funding three feeding programs in Vancouver – that will deliver over
18,000 meals to children, families and seniors affected by the pandemic. For over two decades,
The Giustra Foundation has supported innovative solutions to some of the world’s most
pressing humanitarian and economic challenges. Through partnerships with leading
organizations in British Columbia and elsewhere in Canada, we assist and develop initiatives
focused on youth, education, community-building and refugee resettlement.
Food Stash Foundation
Food Stash Foundation is a registered charity with a twofold mission to reduce the
environmental impact of food waste and bridge the food insecurity gap within our community.
On a monthly basis, we rescue over 50,000 pounds of perishable food that would otherwise
be wasted and redistribute it to over 28 partner charities across Vancouver in addition to 65+
households through our Rescued Food Box Program. We strive to close the loop on our food
system by redirecting all compost to local animal sanctuaries.
Savoury Chef Foods
Savoury Chef has been operating since 2006 across all areas of food service, catering and
event planning. It is located in a 10,000 square foot facility in Strathcona and was voted #1
Best Caterer in Vancouver by the Georgia Straight Golden Plates Awards, 2020.
Vancouver Food Runners
Vancouver Food Runners’ mission is to respond to the unfortunate disconnect between the fact
that 58% of all food produced is wasted or lost while one in nine households in British Columbia
are food insecure. We aim to alleviate food insecurity and promote sustainability by preventing
perfectly healthy food from entering the waste stream and directly distributing it to organizations
working with the food insecure. Leveraging technology, civic engagement, and public-private
partnerships, Vancouver Food Runners has developed an innovative transport and distribution
model that effectively responds to the opportunity of smaller-scale retail food surplus and has
the potential to have a significant and measurable impact on food insecurity in Vancouver.
Media Contact:
Tristan Jagger
Tristan@vancouverfoodrunners.com
604-323-3217
