By The need for food assistance in Pitt Meadows is rising at an alarming rate, with more households turning to the Friends in Need Food Bank for support. As the cost of living continues to climb, more families and individuals are finding it increasingly difficult to afford adequate food, according to the food bank’s executive director, Mary Robson.
At the Pitt Meadows City Council meeting on October 29, Robson shared that the number of households registered with the Friends in Need Food Bank had increased by five percent in 2023. This surge has resulted in a total of 125 households and nearly 300 people relying on the food bank’s services.
Rising Demand Reflects Broader Economic Struggles
The stark increase in food bank users reflects the broader economic pressures that many residents are facing. Robson attributed this upward trend directly to the soaring cost of living. As inflation pushes the prices of food, housing, and essential services higher, families are struggling to make ends meet.
“There’s just more and more families that are unable to make ends meet,” Robson explained. “This is something we’re seeing more frequently, and unfortunately, it doesn’t look like it’s slowing down.”
A concerning aspect of the current food bank usage is the demographic breakdown. Nearly 37 percent of those relying on the Friends in Need Food Bank are children and youth under the age of 18, while another 20 percent are seniors aged 55 and older. These age groups are particularly vulnerable to the financial strains caused by rising costs, making them disproportionately represented among food bank users.
The sharp increase in food bank use in Pitt Meadows is just one example of a wider trend across communities in the region, where food insecurity continues to grow.
Tackling the Problem with Expanded Community Support
In response to this growing demand, the Friends in Need Food Bank has been ramping up its fundraising and community outreach efforts. One major initiative was the first-ever community-wide food drive in Pitt Meadows, organized as part of the 2024 Purolator Tackle Hunger campaign.
This successful campaign saw more than 9,155 pounds of non-perishable food donated by local residents, with the help of volunteers from Purolator, 1st Laity View Scouts, and the food bank itself. The food drive is just one example of how local organizations are working together to address food insecurity, but Robson stressed that much more needs to be done to meet the growing need.
“We’ve been working hard to expand our fundraising efforts,” said Robson. “Community events like these help, but the reality is that we need continuous support to ensure we’re able to meet the demand.”
Repurposing Unsold Food to Combat Wastage
Along with the increased fundraising efforts, another key program at the food bank is its Perishable Food Recovery Program. This initiative collects unsold food from local supermarkets in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows and redirects it to people in need. When food is deemed unsuitable for human consumption, it is either given to local farmers for animal feed or used for composting.
The program has been running for over five years now and has saved approximately 6.2 million pounds of food from being sent to landfills. Robson emphasized the importance of this program in reducing food waste while also addressing the growing demand for food assistance.
“We’ve become more aggressive in the trimming of what we’re picking up,” Robson said. “What we used to allocate more to the farms, we’re now trimming more of that product because there’s more demand for it. We’re actually repurposing about 70 to 75 percent of it for human consumption now, which is a big step forward.”
This shift in focus has allowed the food bank to better serve its clients while also contributing to sustainability efforts. The Perishable Food Recovery Program is not only addressing food insecurity but also helping reduce waste—a win-win for both the community and the environment.
Community Collaboration Key to Solving Growing Hunger Crisis
The success of the Friends in Need Food Bank’s initiatives is largely due to the ongoing support of the Pitt Meadows community. Local organizations, volunteers, and individuals all play a vital role in ensuring that those who are struggling have access to the food they need. However, as Robson pointed out, the challenge is far from over.
“We’re doing what we can to meet the increasing need, but it’s clear that more is required. The community has stepped up in a big way, but we need continued support to keep up with the rising demand,” she said.
In the face of a growing food insecurity crisis, the importance of community collaboration and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances cannot be overstated. As more people rely on food banks, it is clear that the community’s role in addressing hunger is more critical than ever. Robson remains hopeful that with continued support, Pitt Meadows can meet these challenges head-on and ensure that no one goes hungry.