Building a community where hunger doesn’t exist

Edmonton’s Food Bank was created with the understanding and acknowledgement of two evident issues:

1. Hunger affects the lives of many Edmontonians

2. Food was being wasted in the community

Originally known as the Edmonton Gleaners Association, Edmonton’s Food Bank has been operating for over 40 years and serves 25,000 community members each month. Beginning as a small committee, Edmonton’s Food Bank quickly grew and expanded into a charitable organization with over 1,642 individual volunteers.  

This month, KV Capital had the privilege to volunteer as a team—building hampers, repackaging food products, and sorting non-perishable donations. It’s safe to say, Edmonton’s Food Bank lead volunteers go above and beyond to welcome, orient, and create a hands-on experience for new volunteers. Our team was grateful for the opportunity to help give back to the Edmonton community and learn more about the ways in which Edmonton’s Food Bank supports our friends and neighbours in need.  

Seeking solutions to the causes of hunger

Food insecurity in the Edmonton community has always existed. According to Statistics Canada, almost one in seven Canadians (14.6%) experienced food insecurity during the beginning of the pandemic. Canadian households with children were more likely to experience food insecurity, representing nearly one in five households (19%).  

The Food Bank continued to pivot as our community experienced five waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. They kept their doors open and provided food to those in need, while keeping staff, volunteers, and agency partners safe. – Edmonton Food Bank

In 2021 alone, Edmonton’s Food Bank provided 65 food hamper distributions a week, supplied 350,000 snacks and meals each month, and supported 88 underserved schools with food programs.

You may be familiar with the request for non-perishable food donations but may be surprised to learn that Edmonton’s Food Bank collects a variety of food such as bread, pastries, fruits, vegetables, and near-dated dairy products from grocery stores, food producers, and warehouses. Including donations, 60-80% of food distributed by Edmonton’s Food Bank is sourced from the food industry, including warehouses, grocery stores, farmers, and local growers.  

The way the community looks at food is integral to helping others. Edmonton’s Food Bank has made it their mission to be stewards in the collection of surplus and donated food for the effective distribution, free of charge to people in need in the Edmonton community, while seeking solutions to the causes of hunger.

The gift of time

Without volunteers, Edmonton's Food Bank would not exist.

With over 60 depots across the city, a variety of volunteer roles are consistently needing to be filled for roles such as, drivers, sorters, repackagers, hamper builders, lead volunteers, client services, and special events. One of the greatest benefits of volunteering for Edmonton’s Food Bank is playing an active role in helping your community and meeting like-minded people along the way.  

Edmonton’s Food Bank goes above and beyond feeding the Edmonton community and provides programs to empower community members struggling with food security and poverty. For example, the “Beyond Food” program is a collaboration of six agencies in Edmonton, who have come together to provide an array of services and resources including employment readiness and academic upgrading.  

There are a variety of ways to give back and participate in Edmonton’s Food Bank. From in-person volunteering to food donations, find out how you can help your fellow community members here.