Perishable Food Recovery Program

The Perishable Food Recovery Program (PFRP) plays a pivotal role in our organization's efforts to combat hunger and poverty.

By rescuing and redistributing perishable food, we are able to provide regular food hampers, full of fresh produce, to individuals and families with low income or those facing emergency situations.

This initiative not only addresses immediate food security needs but also contributes to environmental sustainability by diverting an average of 1 million pounds of food from landfills annually.

Our commitment extends beyond food provision to fostering an inclusive environment, where volunteer opportunities enhance community understanding and support those in need.

Remaining non-secular and non-political, we prioritize building partnerships with like-minded organizations and companies, aiming to improve lives through collaborative efforts.

Our operations are designed to ensure low overhead costs, maximizing the benefits for our clients.

The dedication of our volunteers and employees to the Perishable Food Recovery Program exemplifies our belief in its importance for social, economic, and environmental progress. It represents the future of our fight against hunger, embodying our commitment to doing what is right for the broader community in need of food security.

Background and Program Creation

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Friends in Need Food Bank Society already has an outstanding track record of ensuring their clients are being provided with quality food through established relationships with food retailers and wholesalers, as well as strong relationships with local farmers to ensure food is provided to fresh farm feed when it is not fit for human consumption. However, the perishable items, especially dairy and meat, have always been a challenging product area due to the requirements of ensuring the “cold chain” (being able to maintain safe internal temperatures during the handling of products) is maintained during transport and storage to ensure product safety.

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Once we were able to upgrade all of our transportation vehicles and on-site refrigeration through grants from Food Banks BC, the Government of BC, Food Banks Canada, Enterprise Canada and the Wal-Mart Foundation. We had all the necessary equipment to maintain the “cold chain.”

We then set about establishing a stand-alone Perishable Food Recovery Facility located in the Maple Ridge downtown core. Since the beginning of the operation in June 2019 this program has been collecting data using FoodMesh and with this data, we have been able to obtain a grant for expansion to bring more of our major grocery stores into the program. This grant was funded through Food Banks Canada and the Wal-Mart Foundation.

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Data Supporting the Success of the Program

In June 2019, the Perishable Food Recovery Facility opened, and we began picking up totes every day from the four Save-On-Foods stores in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. The food is sorted, weighed and recorded using the FoodMesh Data Collection Program. We now have No Frills, Great Canadian Superstore, FreshCo and Wal-Mart participating.

As of July 2023 we have repurposed 1.9 million kg of food previously destined for landfills. Of that 50% has been distributed to clients of the food banks in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows as well as a number of our community organizations and agencies dealing with food insecurity. Using industry accepted calculators, the following can be reported.

Charity Donation Value equivalent to $5.5 million ($5.70/kg donated value)

More than 5 million kg. of CO2 Emissions have been saved

Benefits of the Program

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Improving the health profile of our communities
Diverting food from landfills, repurposing it and reducing the carbon footprint of our communities
Supporting food retailers in improving their performance in the area of waste reduction, which is beneficial to society as a whole
Improving educational outcomes for youth by ensuring they are adequately nourished, allowing them to concentrate on their classroom studies

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Providing further leadership within the area of establishing and maintaining strong inter-agency partnerships
Providing our volunteers with an improved workspace to support our clients better
For a short video on Friends in Need Food Bank Society’s Perishable Food Recovery Program, please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAH2iI_0hPc.
For further information, please contact Mary Robson, Executive Director at Friends in Need Food Bank Society at Director@FriendsNeedFood.com.

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