There is no reason for anyone to go hungry in Chilliwack.
That’s the thinking behind the newly created Chilliwack Food Council, where several key community partners are united around the goal of feeding the hungry and increasing food security.
One of their first projects was to list all of the free emergency food programs currently operating in Chilliwack into a handy one-page fact sheet.
“The Chilliwack Food Council formed after the COVID-19 pandemic hit to tackle food security issues in Chilliwack from different vantage points,” said coordinator Sabine Mendez of Chilliwack Healthier Community (CHC).
The Chilliwack Food Council came together under the auspices of CHC Poverty Reduction Task Team with leaders involved from: Chilliwack Bowls of Hope Society, Chilliwack Salvation Army, Chilliwack Community Services, City of Chilliwack, Chilliwack School District, Chilliwack Citizens For Change, Chilliwack Society for Community Living, University of the Fraser Valley, Fraser Health, and United Way of the Lower Mainland.
The just-released fact-sheet listing all the programs can be found on the main page of the Chilliwack Healthier Community website.
It maps out free food programs operating in Chilliwack such as pick-up and delivery of hampers, hot meals, children’s lunches, take-out food, as well as baby food and formula, restricted eaters, and more.
Food council members want the community to know that there is “more than enough food to go around,” with numerous specialized programs established to feed different people – especially since the pandemic hit freeing up streams of funding for those struggling.
“The vision of the food council in the short-term is about helping to address emergency needs,” said Mendez.
In the medium-term there are plans to finish work on the food-hub warehouse, outside the Salvation Army building, which is being set up to accept big-scale donations. The longer term is all about working a range of larger ideas, such as fostering social connections, community kitchens, and bringing in farmers and food producers into capacity-building efforts.
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