(This story is sponsored by the Greater Vancouver Food Bank.)

The Greater Vancouver Food Bank (GVFB) provides assistance to more than 28,000 people every week through community food hubs and partner agencies. Since 1983, the nonprofit has carried out crucial work to help address the immediate food needs of those in Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, and the North Shore.

Now the GVFB has taken another step toward its goal of building strong, connected communities through the power of food with the move of its warehouse and head office to a new location in Burnaby. Located at 8345 Winston Street, the space is easily accessible by public transit via bus or the SkyTrain to Production Way.

Among many improvements, like a custom-built kitchen for hosting workshops and events, the new location also features increased freezer and refrigeration capacity, allowing the GVFB to accept even more fresh and frozen nutritious food. That’s important because the GVFB receives, purchases, and distributes approximately 4.5 million pounds of food each year. It receives no government funding, relying entirely on donations from the public and funding from grants.

Due to its size, scale, and unique position in the food system, the GVFB has significantly greater buying power than can be achieved at the grocery store by the general public. In fact, the GVFB can purchase as much as three dollars’ worth of food for every dollar donated, maximizing the impact of donors’ contributions. This is one of the reasons why donating money instead of food is the very best way to support families and seniors in need of support.

The team at the GVFB has already been warmly welcomed by their new community and is excited to open its doors in Burnaby. Amazingly, the GVFB has managed construction and relocation while meeting a 30 percent increase in need for food support over the past year, coupled with a 25 percent boost in food donations—all with no interruption to service.

In addition to sharing food with 13 community food hubs and 75 community partner agencies, the GVFB also employs the principles of sustainability, education, training, and quality nutrition in an endeavour to create longer-term solutions to hunger in the Greater Vancouver area.

To learn more about the Greater Vancouver Food Bank (8345 Winston Street) and how you can help support the community by volunteering or donating, visit the website at foodbank.bc.ca.