Our History
he Friends in Need Food Bank Society 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 Society now operates out of a 3,200-square-foot warehouse in the heart of Maple Ridge. Our food bank has over 3,000 registered clients.
The Friends in Need Food Bank Society also supports a secondary depot out of the Grace Community Church in Pitt Meadows.
And it provides food for the Monday Seniors’ Food Bank at the Ridge Meadows Seniors Society.
Our food bank distributes over 660 hampers per month and provides supplies to over 20 other community agencies and programs, including our School Meal/Snack Program with SD42. Our main source of food donations come from local grocers, retailers and community members who donate individually or through their own food drives or community events.
The Friends in Need Food Bank Society is a member of Food Banks BC 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 charity with the Canada Revenue Agency and a registered non-profit organization.
Our Mission
The Friends in Need Food Bank Society exists to support residents in need in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. It is our mission to ensure no one in our community ever goes hungry.
We cooperate with many community organizations and share and redistribute food to organizations that also provide services to people in need. We are advocates for those we serve and strive to promote the awareness of hunger in our community. We believe preserving the self-esteem and dignity of those we serve is as equally important as providing food.
Board of Directors
Chairperson | Lynda J. Lawrence |
Vice Chair | Gwen O’Connell |
Secretary | Debbie MacRae/Ineke Boekhorst |
Treasurer | Jonie Lagrange |
Directors | Ahmed Yousef |
Lindsay Norcross | |
Eva Boyd | |
Sandra Ramsay |
Management Team
Executive Director | Mary Robson |
General Manager | Evan Seal |
PFRP/School Meal Program Coordinator | Karen Osborne |
Volunteer Coordinator/Client Services | Nancy Nagy |
Warehouse Operations | Ian MacKay |
Pitt Meadows Operations Manager | Clare Devlin |