Our History
The Friends In Need Food Bank was unofficially founded in the early 1980's through several community initiatives and in 1993 the society was formed, 2023 marks its 30th Anniversary.
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 operates three food bank locations: Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge Seniors Centre.
Our food bank distributes over 770 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 | Ineke Boekhorst |
Treasurer | Debbie MacRae |
Directors | Ahmed Yousef |
Jonie Lagrange | |
Lawrence Anderson | |
Eva Boyd | |
Sandra Ramsay |
Management Team
Executive Director | Mary Robson |
General Manager | Evan Seal |
Perishable Food Recovery Program | Ramudhi Ekanayke |
Volunteer Coordinator/Client Services | Nancy Nagy |
Warehouse Operations | Ian MacKay |
Pitt Meadows Operations Manager | Clare Devlin |
Local organisations and agencies we are proud to support: