Mission’s St. Joseph’s Food Bank has received a much needed refrigeration truck, worth $87,000, thanks to a provincial government grant.
Sandra Cascaden, manager of the food bank said the truck will be put to good use.
“We are in much need of a refrigeration delivery truck. We have our three-ton truck, but it’s always busy and we are having to refuse food because we can’t go pick it up,” she explained.
St. Joseph’s Food Bank provides about 900 food hampers a month.
The new truck will also be an asset when it comes to helping people with limited mobility.
“We do about 40 deliveries a month to seniors and people with disabilities. Winter is not bad but in summer, we need the truck,” said Cascaden.
Nick Johnson, manager of member services at Food Bank BC, was in Mission last week to officially present the truck.
“We have 105 member food banks across the province, which we support with initiatives and funding like this,” said Johnson.
Cascaden said there is still a big “need in the community for food. We always need more donations, but also need to expand.”
She explained the food bank need to expand in order to facilitate a new refrigeration system in the building to meet the growing demand for help.
“We are turning away food, taking food to other local churches to put in their freezers. There is no place to store it.”
Plus, with the limited cold storage, the food in the refrigerators has to constantly be rotated, creating more and more work for the volunteers.
Cascaden said expansion is the solution. To find out more about St. Joseph’s Food Bank, visit: missionfoodbank.com