A Model for Food Security: Inside Greater Vancouver Food Bank's Distribution Revolution

So when you came to the food bank, I mean, the food bank has a very unique features today, which we're going to talk about.

But when you came here, was the Greater Vancouver Food Bank relatively traditional as food banks go?

Very much so.

It was sort of what I call the old model of food banking.

The Greater Vancouver Food Bank, you've got to remember, it started in 1983 as a temporary measure.

And it was very traditional.

There were about 6,000 clients But it literally was run on basically sort of surplus excess food, what I call now post-consumer.

So what was left over at the grocery store.

And, you know, a lot of the food that was distributed might have come from public food drives.

So, you know, I mean, I was guilty of it as well many years ago.

My daughters are both in their 20s now.

But, you know, they come home from high school and it's like, oh, I forgot to tell you that, you know, there's a food drive for the food bank tomorrow at 8 o'clock at night.

And you clean out your kitchen cupboards.

Yes, sir.

And so that was kind of the old model that I inherited eight years ago.

And interestingly enough, about a year before I worked at the Greater Vancouver Food Bank, I volunteered for a day with another company, another organization I was working with, and a day to give back.

And I volunteered with the CEO of that company.

And we did the food sort, the traditional food sort as a volunteer.

And you're sorting through.

And making the bags up.

Oh, yeah.

And it was a lot of instant noodles and it was a lot of, you know, old cans of beans and craft dinner and things like that.

And I remember thinking when I walked away, like, wow, I know it's not the greatest food to be giving people.

And then here I am very well as a year after that actually I had the opportunity to come to work at the food bank.

So I knew I could make a difference.