Our Mission The Friends In Need Food Bank exists solely to provide for low-income families and individuals who reside in Maple Ridge or Pitt Meadows. We raise awareness around hunger issues and provide our clients with information on other community resources.
Our History The Friends In Need Food Bank was founded in 1989 by two women in Pitt Meadows who saw a need to assist the hungry in our community. Since then our Food Bank has expanded and grown extensively through client services and hamper distribution.
The Friends In Need Food Bank now operates out of a 3,200 square foot warehouse in the heart of Maple Ridge. Our Food Bank has over 5,600 registered clients, 1,700 of which are children under 12 years of age.
The Friends in Need Food Bank also supports a secondary depot out of Grace Community Church in Pitt Meadows.
Our Food Bank distributes to over 700 families and singles in a month and provides supplies to 7 other community agencies and programs. Our Food Bank receives over 105,000 kilograms of food each year. All of this product is donated by local grocers, retailers and community members.
The Friends In Need Food Bank is a member of CAFB-British Columbia and Food Banks Canada.
We strictly abide by their Code Of Ethics and do not promote door-to-door or telephone solicitation. We are a registered non-profit organization.
Friends In Need Food Bank is a proud member of:
Hunger in Our Community
Get Informed
In your community, it could be your neighbour or your co-workers who depends on Food Bank services. Hunger affects all of us and in Maple Ridge alone, the Friends In Need Food Bank supports 10% of our communities population. You can help by learning more about our services or donating funds to feed hungry mouths in your community.
Who We Help Our Food Bank provides solely for low-income individuals and families. Our in-house statistics show that 34% of our client base are children under 12, and 5% are seniors. Our client numbers have risen 30% in the end of 2008, bringing our client numbers to 5,600 registered people. Not only do we provide food supplements for our clients but we also provide supplies for many organizations in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.
Our Services
Our Hampers Our Hampers provide a three to four day supplement for our clients. Each hamper is not intended to be a main supply of groceries, but is intended to save our clients funds for other necessities.
The Board of Directors is committed to including protein and fresh produce to improve nourishment and nutrition. Both of our depots are equipped with freezers and coolers which enables our organization to take advantage of perishable food donations.
Our Hampers Include:Fruits and Vegetables, source of protein, bread, pasta and rice, canned soup or stew and other non-perishable items. Quantity of our hampers depends solely on stock and whether the hamper is for a single individual, couple or family.
Example of Proteins: Peanut Butter, Eggs, Chicken and Ground beef.
Examples of Fresh Produce: Cucumbers, Potatoes, Apples, Oranges, Carrots and other fruits and vegetables.