Food Share in The Nisga’a Nation

FOOD SHARE IN THE NISGA’A NATION Faith and innovation getting us through

When Damian Azak, Director at Gitwinksihlkw Corps, first came into the role in 2013 he found a gap where the nearest food bank was not reaching the people in his community. He started taking small shipments to offer to those in need. A year later he created a dedicated Food Share room and thanks to a grant was able to purchase enough items to keep it stocked for several families, becoming the only food security program in the valley.

When the pandemic hit, new orders made by provincial and local government, combined with the fear of catching the virus kept people at home. Work opportunities became limited, and households were suddenly without the food they needed for their families. The food service program at the Gitwinksihlkw Corps grew from serving 15–30 families a week in pre-pandemic times to serving up to 350 families per week.

“Throughout the pandemic we often had to find new solutions that would allow us to adapt and continue to serve the people. But we did not do this alone and I am grateful to everyone who supported us during this difficult time.”

Damian’s team began to look for ways to address this critical issue and through their resourcefulness and faith, they managed to find a solution. His team discovered the Agricultural Canada Fund and combined with support from the Vancouver Foundation, Hecht Foundation, and United Way were able to secure enough funds to purchase food, an upright freezer, and a cargo van that allowed volunteers to deliver hampers to the nearby villages.

That cargo van allowed them to increase their reach and as neighbours would often pick up additional hampers to take to elders—people who were self-isolating or recovering from the virus were getting fed. The Food Share program was even able to provide specific items to help those battling symptoms of COVID-19 and other special foods such as shelf-stable milk.

Damian will be the first to tell you that he does not do this work alone. His dedicated team, committed government, and corporate and community partners came together to support the people of the Nisga’a Nation. Damian Azak, Director Gitwinksihlkw Corps