Users of the Regina Food Bank (RFB) recently added some fresh B.C. produce to their diets courtesy of a two-way exchange with the Greater Vancouver Food Bank (GVFB).
The RFB swapped 22 pallets — bagged lentils (six), rolled oats (six), soup mix (six), and pasta (four) — while receiving 26 in return. Six pallets were of B.C.-grown carrots, eight had corn, six included parsley and six featured kale.
More than 50,000 pounds of food was exchanged between the two organizations.
B.C.’s shipment arrived in Regina early last week, according to RFB CEO Mary Weimer. Volunteers promptly unloaded the fresh produce and then reloaded the trailer with local products before sending it west.
Weimer said the shipment from B.C. has already been doled out.
“We don’t have the luxury of taking an entire week to get this food out of the door. We really have one or two days to turn this around,” she said.
The B.C. shipment provided enough produce for about 2,000 hampers, Weimer said, noting the RFB distributes about 450 per day.
The food bank has a commercial kitchen where it prepares individual meals, and some of the produce was used there. For example, a portion of the parsley went into making falafels, Weimer said.
The RFB also shared the fresh produce with partner agencies, she added.
It’s the second year of this initiative and Weimer said she hopes it continues and grows.
“When we did this last year, it created a lot of excitement amongst food banks in Canada,” she told the Regina Leader-Post.
“People are connected and talking about different things that they’re doing, and the thing that people are really excited about is: how do we get even better at the logistics and sharing?”