A registered charity is helping make sure excess food ends up in the hands of those who need it and not in landfills.
Vancouver Food Runners (VFR), which began in 2020, has now expanded to Burnaby. The organization works with multiple businesses and organizations to ensure surplus food goes to various local non-profits.
"Since the organization’s launch in March 2020, VFR has experienced remarkable growth, expanding from a handful of partners to a robust network that now encompasses over 150 food businesses, 170 nonprofit organizations, and 3,800 volunteers registered on the VFR app," VFR executive director Michelle Reining said in a news release.
"Our volunteers are truly extraordinary. In just over four and a half years, they have carried out more than 26,000 food rescues, delivering 4.7 million pounds of healthy food that would have otherwise gone to waste."
Partner businesses include bakeries, restaurants, hotels, grocery stores, wholesalers and producers.
In Burnaby, the organization is collaborating with Save-On-Foods, Safeway, Sungiven Foods and DashMart.
The food is donated to local non-profits, including Don't Go Hungry, Burnaby Neighbourhood House, Progressive Housing Society and Ryan's Rainbow.
Just last year, VFR says it delivered more than 95,000 pounds of food in Burnaby, which equated to an in-kind value of more than $334,000.
“We aim to meet both businesses and non-profits where they are at," VFR program director Adelyn Chan added.
"For businesses, we make donating surplus food free, simple, and flexible. For nonprofits, we ensure the food donations align with their program needs and arrive on time. We encourage Burnaby food businesses to join our food recovery program — it’s incredibly easy to participate.”
Burnaby food businesses interested in learning more about VFR can contact Adelyn Chan at [email protected].
