Whole Foods Market & You: Helping the Environment and Burnaby Food First

Every time you shop at Whole Foods Market in Burnaby until the end of September, you have an opportunity to support Burnaby Food First. All you have to do is bring your own shopping bag, and then tell the cashier you'd like to donate the cost of a bag to Burnaby Food First.

Whole Foods Market partners with schools and non-profits through their Bag Refund Donation Program to help raise money for important community causes. At the register, customers have the option to receive the bag refund as cash back off their receipt or to donate it to one of three designated organizations each fiscal quarter.



The donations we receive between July 4 and September 25, 2016 will contribute to Burnaby Food First projects. Every little bit helps!



To receive updates on our projects and upcoming community workshops, check back often or subscribe to our email list.

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Enjoy Burnaby Food First workshops? Want to get involved as a volunteer?



Check out all the great ways you can get involved. All are welcome, and we'd love to have you on board! For more information, send us an email.

Vancity Grant for Burnaby Food First

Vancity, Canada�s largest community credit union, has contributed funds that will help support some exciting upcoming gardening projects in Burnaby!

Cheque presentation ceremony at Vancity North Burnaby Branch

Pictured (from left to right): Maria Michayluk (Vancity), Stephen D'Souza (Meals on Wheels),

Joyce Cameron (Burnaby Food First), and Carmela Busto (Vancity)

Credit: Jennifer Lee

They have donated a grant that will help Meals on Wheels, partnering with Burnaby Food First, to deliver free gardening workshops to the local community. Part of the funds will also go towards supporting the Sharing Backyards project, an initiative that helps increase the availability of local gardening space.




Burnaby Food First is grateful to Vancity for their generous funding of our programs.



Leona Skovgaard, chair of the Burnaby Food First Steering Committee, gives thanks for this on-going support:

�Thank you to Vancity for the grant and to Meals on Wheels for partnering with us to provide gardening workshops to the community. These workshops will help residents of Burnaby grow their own fruits and vegetables, as well as create a more engaged community through sharing backyards, community gardens, and participation in workshops.�

The first gardening workshop, to be held on April 18, will help participants plan their garden; registration has already been filled. Leanne Zmud, program coordinator, is very pleased with the overwhelming response.



She encourages anyone interested to get involved. �We will be scheduling more free workshops soon, so please keep checking our website for upcoming events.�



You can find details about all of Burnaby Food First's workshops and projects on the Burnaby Food First website. Check back for information on future workshops.

Thank you to United Steelworkers Local 1-1937!

We send out a thank you to United Steel Workers Local 1-1937 for their donation and support!

Greater Vancouver Food Bank at Rogers Santa Claus Parade

The Greater Vancouver Food Bank is BC's largest food bank. As we head into the holidays, they have seen a significant decrease in food supply and donations this year. On average, over half of the food donations the Food Bank receives in a year come in during the holiday period.

Source: Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society

The holiday season sees an increase in usage at the food bank, but many people throughout the year continue to use food banks to make up for household food shortfalls. Did you know? Almost a third of food bank users in BC are actually children.



So, what is the Greater Vancouver Food Bank looking for? Items include canned fish or beans, natural peanut butter, canned fruits or veggies, whole-wheat pasta, and rice.



Tomorrow (Sunday, December 7, 2014) is the 11th Annual Rogers' Santa Claus Parade, which also fundraises for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank.



Rogers' Santa Claus Parade



Date: Sunday, December 7, 2014

Location: Downtown Vancouver (route information)

Cost: FREE



The Rogers' Santa Claus Parade is one of the largest events organized to raise food and money for the Food Bank. The parade starts at 1:00 pm and other event festivities start from 10:30 am.



Participants are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food or money donation on parade day for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. Donations can also be made online.



For more information on the event or find out more about the Greater Vancouver Food Bank, visit the Santa Claus Parade website: http://rogerssantaclausparade.com/