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Our Partner in Mission for March and April is Loaves and Fishes. Here's a link to their facebook page and their website.

What is Food Recovery?  Food Recovery is a program that collects all surplus food regardless of quality and redirects it to the highest and best use.  This surplus food is primarily fruit, vegetables, meats, bread and dairy items that grocery retailers have traditionally thrown out to the dumpster.  By accepting all food, a Food Recovery Program is able to offer retailers a cost effective, socially responsible and environmentally friendly way of disposing of food they are not able to sell. 

Loaves & Fishes Food 4U Food Recovery Program picks up surplus food from 30 food recovery partners in Nanaimo, Ladysmith, Nanoose Port Alberni, Comox and beyond. We collect from 15 of these grocery partners 7 days a week and the others several times a week or monthly. We also collect and accept pet food to distribute when available. We provide the regular grocery partners with clean sanitized, colour coded donation bins to ensure their operations can be efficiently run. There is simply no reason for food to be going to waste while there are people in need who can use it. 

Once food is collected, our volunteers sort it according to the standards of Food Banks Canada to ensure that only the highest quality food is made available to people. Food that does not meet these standards is made available to local farmers for their animals or composts. Whatever is not taken by farmers is composted through local industrial compost facilities, or as a last step taken to the landfill. 

How does Loaves & Fishes Spread the Food So Far?

    1. Food is given directly to people through our Nanaimo and Port Hardy Food Bank depots. Everyone is welcome regardless of income or where they live.

    2. Food is provided, free of charge, to over 100 other non-profits, schools, food banks and Indigenous Communities across Vancouver Island.