The Loaves and Fishes food bank raised over $30,000 and 1,700 pounds of food during their Food 4 Summer campaign. (File Photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Kyle Ireland

NEW NORMAL

Nanaimo’s Loaves and Fishes food bank adjusts to pandemic problems

Aug 16, 2020 | 11:46 AM

NANAIMO — Getting creative to meet high demand has been a hallmark of Loaves and Fishes Community Food Bank during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The organization replaced its primarily elderly volunteer base at the start of the pandemic, according to director of development Abby Saucuk.

She said there are lot of health concerns which remain.

“We needed to replace them with younger, healthy paid workers so we could work harder and long hours to get the food sorted and out,” Saucuk said.

The younger workforce is being used to propel the annual Food 4 Summer campaign which moved online.

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“We put through an online element so people could donate monetarily instead of food and we partnered with Island Savings to do that and we partnered with Thrifty Foods to collect as much non-perishable food as we could,” Saucuk said.

The fundraiser took in over $30,000 in cash, including $10,000 in matching funds from Island Savings. Over 1,700 pounds of food was also collected.

With many restaurants either closed or slow the organization has been able to get take advantage of the food supplies across the Island.

“We have been taking on food that was supposed to go to restaurants and instead of having it be disposed of unnecessary, we’re collecting it, sorting it and making it sure it spreads to households and other non-profits across Vancouver Island,” Saucuk said.

While based in and focused on serving Nanaimo, Loaves and Fishes also distributes food to other partner food banks across Vancouver Island.

It delivers nearly 140,000 pounds of food to households on the Island every month.

Donations to the food bank can be made online through the Loaves and Fishes food back.

kyle.ireland@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @kyle_ireland31