CBC B.C.'s Food Bank Day raises $1,880,986.00 in donations — and you can still donate
CBC
For more than three decades, CBC Vancouver's annual Open House and Food Bank Day has raised money for those in need, and the tradition continues on Friday.
This year, like last year, the fundraising festivities have been adapted so you can watch special broadcasts, meet your favourite CBC British Columbia hosts virtually, and donate to Food Banks B.C., all from the comfort of your home.
Donors are able to contribute until midnight Dec. 31.
So far, we have raised $1,880,986.00.
In 2020, the event raised $2,721,112, shattering previous years' totals.
A new report says food banks in Canada have seen a major surge in visits throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and the high cost of living and ongoing economic disruption is bound to swell those numbers in the months ahead.
David Long, the CEO of the Greater Vancouver Food Bank, said the organization has registered over 5,000 new clients over the past year.
"That's a staggering number and there's a certainly a lot of need out there," said Long.
With disruptions to the supply chain made worse by flooding and road closures, food banks in B.C. anticipate prolonged demand over the coming weeks and months.
"If you told me a year ago that we would flying — by helicopter — food to Hope and Merritt and different parts of the Lower Mainland that had been cut off by the floods, I wouldn't have believed it," said Long.
Long said they were able to distribute around 15,000 to 20,000 pounds of food — something he says they wouldn't have been able to do without public support.
"The fallout of the pandemic and these floods is something that's going to go on for a number of years. We're going to see a ripple effect of what's happened over the coming years."
If you are unable to make a monetary donation, there are many other ways to help. You can visit the Food Banks B.C. website to find your local food bank and learn about volunteer opportunities available in your community.
If you can't make an online donation, a food bank volunteer can call you so you can donate over the phone. Just call 604-662-6470 and leave your name and phone number on the answering machine. A volunteer will call you back sometime in the next week.