Nanaimo food bank launches summer fundraiser as need increases

Demand for food support is up between three and 10 per cent compared to last year, according to Loaves & Fishes Community Food Bank, as it launches its annual summer fundraising campaign.

The Nanaimo-based organization says it continues to rely heavily on food recovery partnerships with local grocery stores, collecting surplus food that would otherwise be thrown out.

“We’ve run this campaign for a number of years in response to the drop in donations that we see over the summer months,” said executive director Peter Sinclair. “The demand for our services continues right through the summer.”

Beyond serving local clients, Sinclair says Loaves & Fishes also supplies food to more than 100 non-profit agencies across the B.C. coast.

As donations taper off, he says the goal is to distribute supplies in a way that helps stabilize shortages across the system.

“We try to spread it out so it’s not felt acutely by any one individual person or group, but the fact is, we cannot provide food that we don’t have,” he said.

Beyond supply and distribution, summer also brings a predictable gap in support programs for families.

“Kids don’t have access to school food programs, so there’s definitely a need for support to fill that gap over the summer,” said Melissa Lavoie, director of philanthropy at Loaves & Fishes Community Food Bank.

The Food for Summer campaign is now underway, with a goal of raising more than $50,000. Island Savings is also matching donations up to $10,000.

Alongside monetary donations, residents are being asked to donate food items at any Island Savings branch or directly to Loaves & Fishes.

Sinclair says canned proteins, beans and vegetables are in high demand, along with other shelf-stable foods.

Last year’s campaign raised about $42,000.