Food Banks Canada

About Food Banks Canada

Founded in 1985, the Food Banks Canada is an umbrella organization representing a national network of regional and community food banks, including provincial associations and food distribution centres.

Food Banks Canada is the voice of food banks in Canada, with members and their respective agencies serving approximately 90 % of people accessing emergency food programs nation-wide. In the month of March 2007, over 720,000 different people accessed food banks, 39 % are children.

In 2006, Food Banks Canada moved over 8.5 million pounds of food industry donations to its members through the National Food Sharing System with voluntary transportation. In addition to food received from Food Banks Canada, community-run food banks rely primarily on volunteers to collect and distribute an estimated 150 million pounds of food per year.

While Food Banks Canadaprovides food daily for people in need, its ultimate goal is a hunger-free Canada.

To do what we do, we rely on a nationwide network of hardworking volunteers, corporations and donations from Canadians. Food Banks Canada is governed by a Board of Directors. We operate according to a strict code of ethics, which has received international acclaim.

Food Banks Canada:

• Represents foods banks across Canada
  * Acts as advocates for food bank users
  * Works with food banks, corporations and government to solve Canada’s growing hunger problem
  * Conducts research on hunger, including HungerCount, an annual survey of food bank use in Canada
  * Distributes large food donations to member banks through the National Food Sharing System (NFSS)
  * Promotes the dignity of food bank users
  * Promotes the ethical stewardship of donated food
  * Surveys Canadians’ perceptions of the problem of hunger

Hunger Count

Initiated in 1989, HungerCount is the only national survey of emergency food programs in Canada. This annual survey documents the struggle of food banks to keep up with ever increasing demand. The information the survey provides is invaluable, forming the basis of many Food Banks Canada activities throughout the year. Among many benefits, HungerCount allows Food Banks Canada to operate the National Food Sharing System on a “fair share” basis, present accurate, timely information to donors and media, and represent members’ key concerns at a variety of public forums. Food bank use was 90% higher in 2007 than it was in 1989, the year HungerCount was first conducted.

Please visit the Resources page for a copy of the Hunger Count Summary or visit Food Banks Canada directly.