GOOD FOOD WITHOUT JUDGEMENT HELP REDUCE HUNGER AND PROVIDE DIGNIFIED ACCESSS TO GOOD, HEALTHY FOOD Help us grow our food programs today: foodstash.ca
March • 2022
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No More Wasted Food:
A Look Into Vancouver’s Food Stash Foundation “A lot of people don’t know what food insecurity is. It’s a result of poverty—not having enough money to pay for food, as things like housing and medical bills take priority,” says Carla Pellegrini, Executive Director of Food Stash Foundation. Canada loves food. From cooking shows to food blogs to our favourite neighbourhood eats, food brings us closer and is a source of joy for many. And yet, in Canada, we waste 58 percent of the food we produce. That’s 35 million metric tonnes of food, equivalent to 56.5 million metric tonnes of CO2 released into the atmosphere or the greenhouse gas emissions from 12,287,615 cars on the road in one year. This waste costs Canada’s economy billions of dollars. Worse still, 32 percent of this waste could be rescued and eaten, providing a lifeline for the one in seven Canadians who are food insecure and struggle to put adequate, nutritious food on the table. According to city statistics,
in British Columbia, 20 percent of Vancouverites live below the poverty line, and Vancouver has the second highest working poverty rate in Canada. The problem is not lack of abundance—it’s lack of equal access. That’s where Food Stash Foundation comes in. In 2016, local Vancouver-based high school teacher David Schein watched a documentary that changed his life. The film, Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story, followed a Vancouver
TEAM AT MARKET LAUNCH © COURTESY OF FOOD STASH FOUNDATION
couple committed to only eating “food waste” for six months and opened Schein’s eyes to just how much food was truly wasted. He saw an opportunity to improve our environment while helping individuals and families in need. By October 2017, Food Stash became a registered Canadian charity, and as the volunteer base grew, so did the support from their community. Food Stash Foundation has a twofold mission: reduce the environmental impact of food waste and bridge the food insecurity gap that exists within our community. In a typical month, the organization rescues 70,000 lbs of healthy, surplus food from grocers, wholesalers and farms that would otherwise go to waste and redistributes it to charity partners and Vancouver households experiencing food insecurity. Households like Mara’s and Lloyd’s. For Mara, who suffers from a disabling chronic illness, access to food means the difference between despair and hope. Mara
shares that the Rescued Food Box program felt like a dignified way to get food. She appreciated that she paid a small delivery fee for her food box delivery—even though it was much less than what she’d pay at the grocery store—and she could voice her food choices. Volunteers fill the CSA-style Rescued Food Boxes with whole veggies and fruits, dairy products, meat and substitutes; most of these boxes are delivered by e-trike! We all deserve options for our eating habits—but one basic option should be access to healthy food; not just heavilyprocessed food. That belief led Food Stash to open its Rescued Food Market in Olympic Village, which features a “Pay What You Feel” model that allows anyone from the community to shop for good food in a dignified way, without forcing them to choose food over housing. “Food Stash’s services help people not fall through the cracks and ultimately can save their life,”
shares Vancouverite Lloyd, who believes food can lead to recovery. Whether someone is experiencing addiction, mental health issues, or financial trouble, food is an essential step in the right direction. When an individual is fuelled with healthy, personally appropriate food, they can better access resources to deal with health issues that could hold them back. The need for Food Stash Foundation’s programs is huge— the Rescued Food Box program, for example, has a wait list of over 90. Keeping the organization growing and serving more people in need requires the help of grocery and farm partners who are willing to donate their good-quality surplus food (rather than throw it away), and of course, generous donors like you. Your support improves access to good, healthy food right here in Vancouver while preventing food waste. Everyone needs to eat! Learn more and help families in your community at www.foodstash.ca
Rainbow Railroad: A Pathway to Freedom and the Newest TreadRight Foundation Partner Sam and Mehraj are in love. They appreciate life, they sing, they play the piano. They have dreams of getting married and starting a family one day. Like most, Sam and Mehraj’s love story assumes that a basic level of freedom is met—the freedom to be you. Sadly, this type of freedom was unthinkable for Sam and Mehraj until only a few years ago. In approximately 70 countries, LGBTQI+ people face violence and oppression based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. This is where our story’s hero, Rainbow Railroad, comes in. Rainbow Railroad is an international not-for-profit organization based in Canada and the United States with a mission to help LGBTQI+ people worldwide find safety. Since 2006, the organization has helped more than 1,500 individuals escape violence and live openly, and has provided livelihood support for thousands more. Rainbow Railroad counts a great number of supporters and recently added the
TreadRight Foundation to that list, a very well-recognized and award-winning foundation tied to the travel industry. Before Rainbow Railroad got involved, Sam and Mehraj lived in fear in Azerbaijan, a country where same-sex relations are illegal and one which polices sexual identity and orientation. Those who are oppressed must live in secret because not only is the state itself a threat to their very existence, the society is also empowered to discriminate and hate with impunity on the same basis. Violent attacks, severe beatings and eviction from their apartment were all punishments they received for their sexuality. Knowing they couldn’t live their lives in constant fear of persecution and violence, the couple tried to escape to a safe country more than once, only to be turned back each time because they could not secure the proper visas. Finally, in 2019, with the help of Rainbow Railroad, the couple was successfully able to escape to Spain.
Through its core Emergency Travel Support program, Rainbow Railroad provides airfare and support to help LGBTQI+ individuals who are at significant risk find a pathway to safety in a new country where they can live in freedom. In addition, Rainbow Railroad provides short-term support in the form of financial aid, information and resources, and referrals to local support programs to keep individuals safe in their current country while helping them understand their rights as asylum seekers. TreadRight and Rainbow Railroad have a shared commitment to diversity, inclusion and a more equitable future for all. As the charitable arm of global travel provider The Travel Corporation (TTC), and brands like Contiki, Insight Vacations, and Trafalgar, TreadRight has supported 60plus sustainable tourism partners worldwide working to MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®, and its
SAMI AND MEHRAJ © RAPHAEL CHATELAIN
support will further Rainbow Railroad’s ability to help an increased number of persecuted LGBTQI+ individuals find safety. In addition, as part of its five-year sustainability strategy, How We Tread Right, TTC and its family of brands are working to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion by driving impact against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and ensuring that both internal teams as well as
guests are represented equitably from within the LGBTQI+ and BIPOC communities. The need for the work of Rainbow Railroad continues to grow each year, further intensified by the global refugee crisis. Sam and Mehraj are just two of thousands of beneficiaries of Rainbow Railroad who have been able to build new lives in a new home, which allows them to live and love freely. ADVERTORIAL
Libraries Make Us Happier, Smarter, and Stronger—Together The spaces, stories, and connections that libraries provide have enriched communities for centuries. And today, despite the endless stream of information and entertainment available to most of us through digital media, libraries play a vital role in ensuring that everyone, regardless of their background, has access to spaces, content, and programs that offer inspiration, hope, and possibility. Libraries lift us up, enabling us to reach our fullest potential, as individuals and together. Vancouver has needed its library more than ever in recent years, and thanks to the support of library donors, VPL was able to adapt quickly to the changes thrust on our community by COVID-19. As the pandemic closed branches, donor support allowed VPL to quickly expand its offerings of eBooks, streaming services and other online resources to meet a surge in digital library use. Beloved programs rapidly went virtual, offering families chances to connect and support their children’s learning even when they had to stay at home, providing teens with a safe social outlet during
lockdowns, and sparking dialogue among people from every walk of life through online author events and virtual programs that explored themes of equity, inclusion, truth, and reconciliation. When branches reopened, donors to VPL Foundation provided funds needed to build safe, fun spaces for children to learn and play in—welcoming young families to gather once again. In December 2020, for the first time ever, VPL reached out to cardholders for help responding to the unprecedented challenges our community faced. The response
was overwhelming. Hundreds of library users, some of whom were facing difficulties of their own, made donations to the VPL Foundation. Along with the donations came words of gratitude and stories of the positive impact the library had made on the lives of those who used it. As Vancouver’s libraries strive to meet the growing and changing needs of the community it serves, library users continue to come together to show their support for one another, for our city, and for the values that we share as Canadians by giving back
NATASHA
to VPL. The Vancouver Public Library and Foundation Board and staff are grateful to be part of a community that believes, and that demonstrates with its actions, that we are stronger together. My kids and I use the library so much. I am beyond grateful that we have such a wonderful resource in my community. All of my kids are always so happy to go to the library, and they always bring home their weight in books! —Winnie and kids, use Renfrew branch
WINNIE’S KIDS
LYNE | ALL PHOTOS COURTESY © VPL FOUNDATION
There’s something special about a public library that makes you feel part of a community… especially during a time of uncertainty, it’s important to make sure that our neighbours, our friends, and our colleagues have access to information. —Natasha, uses Central branch I am an educator, a writer, and an avid reader. I believe that we can make the world a better place through education—and that is what the library does! VPL gives a voice to people who represent diverse points of view through workshops and public readings. I also borrow dozens of books in French and English every year. I am convinced libraries change lives for the better. —Lyne, uses Central branch If you’d like to learn more about how donor support makes Vancouver a smarter, happier, and more equitable city, please visit www.vplf.ca
The VPL Foundation raises funds to enhance the programs, collections, services, and spaces of the VPL. “We rely on the Library to create a feeling of belonging and community for our daughter. She comes to VPL 3-4 times a week”—Justin, VPL Central Library Patron Get in touch with us!
foundation@vpl.ca
604-331-4092
www.vplf.ca
350 W. Georgia St. Vancouver, BC V6B 6B1 Charitable Registration Number: 88075 5285 RR0001
