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Victoria food bank at low point for donations just as need climbs

Mid-summer is “absolutely” a low point for the Mustard Seed Food Bank — with the need for food increasing as donations continue to taper off, says one of its top officials.
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Mustard Seed Food Bank interim executive director Allan Lingwood among the food bank's thinning shelves of supplies. Midsummer is a low point for the food bank, Lingwood says, with the need for food items rising at the same time many donors are out of town on vacation.

Mid-summer is “absolutely” a low point for the Mustard Seed Food Bank — with the need for food increasing as donations continue to taper off, says one of its top officials.

Families need more nutritious food in hampers when their kids can no longer access school meal programs and summer child-care expenses eat into family budgets, said interim executive director Allan Lingwood.

July and August are among “the busiest times” for food bank use, with the crunch coming as donations continue their month-by-month decline until autumn food drives kick in, he said.

“We see a lot of families during the summer months and more financial pressure,” Lingwood said. Contributions peak in November and December, when 60 per cent of annual donations are received.

Needed now are peanut butter, canned goods such as fruit, vegetables, fish, meat and soup, dried peas, beans, pasta and soup, rice and oatmeal.

Fortunately, a lot of local farmers give fresh summer produce to the Mustard Seed, he added. To capitalize on the vast amounts of fresh perishables that go to waste in grocery stores for being less than perfect, the Mustard Seed has made a conditional offer to lease refrigerated space for its regional “food rescue” centre.

It’s negotiating for a 13,500-square-foot warehouse near its Queens Avenue hamper site that would provide quick-turnaround distribution for fresh fruits, vegetables and dairy products to about 40 non-profit agencies. Food bank clients would not pick up food at the rescue centre.

Country Grocer has contributed perishables for more than a year, Lingwood noted, but nine Thrifty Food stores are on board to up the ante in tandem with local Rotary Clubs.

A year ago, nine clubs raised $100,000 by raffling a car donated by Thrifty Foods, with the sum matched by $100,000 from the Victoria Foundation to pursue the collection, handling and distribution of a great amount of best-before nutritious fresh foods that are currently discarded.

The Mustard Seed master plan includes a 1,500-square-foot kitchen for food processing that, for example, could quickly turn very-ripe strawberries into jam that would be “a huge benefit long term” as well as encourage a community kitchen for Mustard Food clients.

“We’re now doing our due diligence and hope to be able to take possession, if all goes well, in mid-August,” Lingwood said.

About 5,000 square feet of the warehouse would be used for food currently trucked and stored at Hope Farm Healing Centre in Duncan, given the Queens site is only 1,300 square feet. Hope Farm is a 36-acre mixed use farm operated as a ministry for men with addiction by the Mustard Seed Street Church.

The food-rescue project will allow the Mustard Seed to provide fresh fruit, vegetables, yogurt, cheese and other products to about 40 other social service organizations that are part of the Food Share Network.

“It’s more of a distribution warehouse and we will continue [with hampers] from our current location on Queens,” Lingwood said.

Currently, the food bank receives 800,000 kilograms of food a year, distributing about 2,450 kg per day, five days a week, once spoilage and donations to other agencies are factored in.

kdedyna@timescolonist.com