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$10M Food Bank Funding

Mar 22, 2017 | 12:26 PM

The BC government has announced 10 million dollars in funding for Food Banks BC.

The organization is involved with 100 food banks in BC including the ones in Vernon, Armstrong, Enderby and Lumby.

Laura Lansink, executive director with Food Banks BC, says the money will upgrade refrigeration services, and allow food banks to stock perishable food items, and not having to rely on cans of non perishable food alone.

“They will have access to a wide variety of fresh, nutritious foods that all families want and deserve.”

Food Banks BC will invest $6.5 million for transporting nutritious food from farms, grocery stores and restaurants and $3.5 million for refrigeration at food bank facilities to store and distribute the food.

Lansink says it will upgrade fridges and freezers, allowing food banks to stock perishable food items.

“Each food bank will tell us what they need and then we’re going to be able to make that happen,” she tells Kiss FM.

Lansink says one of every three people who use the food bank is a child.

“The basics for food banks is canned food and dry food, and to be able to give out fresh apples, cucumbers and things in season is just going to be fantastic, and kids especially, really need this when they’re growing.”

Lansink says the government introduced the Farmers Food Donation tax credit las tyear.

“That gives food producers and growers a 25% tax rebate if they donate any surplus food to a food bank or charity.”