FAMILIES with low incomes, immigrants and refugees, and seniors struggling to put food on the table in the Lower Mainland will have better access to healthy and culturally appropriate food with $300,000 funding to the Immigrant Link Centre Society.

“People are facing such challenges with food costs as global inflation drives up prices at the grocery store,” said Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, on Tuesday. “Helping people get nutritious and affordable food helps reduce poverty, so on top of hundreds of other projects, today we’re funding healthy, culturally appropriate food for families in 25 Lower Mainland locations”.

Seven days a week, the Immigrant Link Centre Society gathers and distributes surplus and unsold food from grocery stores to more than 4,000 people. Every two weeks, and at no cost, each family and senior receives customized hampers according to religious traditions, allergies, medical conditions and family size.

“Food is life. Don’t waste life,” said Igor Bjelac, director, Immigrant Link Centre Society. “Thanks to the invaluable support from the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, we’ve been able to expand our food-recovery efforts. Their commitment to alleviating hunger and reducing food waste aligns seamlessly with our mission and our food-recovery activities.”

With this funding, the society is able to provide meals for more families in more locations by increasing its capacity to collect food and expanding the number of retailers, distributors and growers that provide donations. The Immigrant Link Centre Society will also be able to train more newcomers in volunteer work, offering them community connection, skills and experience to enter the Canadian labour market.

This investment is part of the historic $200-million funding announced by government in March 2023 to strengthen the food-supply chain throughout B.C., increase the availability of fresh food, encourage more food production in remote areas, strengthen food infrastructure and create more regional community food hubs.

The Province said that food insecurity has increased due to inflation, supply-chain issues and climate emergencies, such as fires and floods, that have interrupted food supply and production. Government funding will help address the diverse challenges of food producers, processors, suppliers, retailers and consumers, strengthening food security for everyone.