Maple Ridge food bank sees 85% jump in households served in 5 years

The number of households relying on the Friends In Need (FIN) Food Bank has climbed 85 percent over the past five years, a dramatic increase that its director says reflects a new reality in Canadian food insecurity.

During a presentation to Maple Ridge council on July 7, FIN executive director Kim Boekhorst, said the organization served 991 households and 2,166 individuals in June alone, recording more than 3,000 food bank visits and registering 75 new clients in a single month.

Boekhorst said food insecurity is often hidden, and no longer just affecting people in crisis, but increasingly working families and seniors.

“The cost of living has moved faster than their income,” Boekhorst said. “The demand we are seeing is no longer occasional, it’s sustained, and it requires stable systems, strong governance, and disciplined operations.”

The numbers mirror a broader national trend. According to the latest data from PROOF, a University of Toronto food insecurity research program using Statistics Canada data, 24 percent of Canadians – approximately 9.8 million people, including 2.4 million children – lived in food-insecure households in 2025.

Meanwhile, Food Banks Canada reported nearly 2.2 million visits to food banks across the country in March 2025, the highest monthly total ever recorded and almost double the number seen in 2019.

Rising grocery costs have become a major driver of food insecurity across Canada. According to the Bank of Canada, grocery prices have increased by approximately 22 percent since 2022, compared with a 13 percent increase for overall consumer prices, highlighting how food costs have outpaced general inflation.

Canada’s Food Price Report 2026 estimates that food prices are now 27 percent higher than they were five years ago, with the average family of four expected to spend up to $17,571 on groceries this year – nearly $1,000 more than in 2025.

For the FIN Food Bank, demand has continued climbing throughout the year. Boekhorst said the food bank recorded more than 17,000 visits during the first six months of 2026, a 16.7 percent increase over the same period last year.

Children under 16 account for 32 percent of the food bank’s clients, while seniors make up another 27 percent. The organization also supports newcomers, single parents, people with disabilities and residents facing temporary financial hardship.

Food rescue program diverts millions of pounds from landfill

As demand has grown, so too has the organization’s food recovery operation.

Boekhorst said the Friends In Need Perishable Food Recovery Program has recovered more than 7.9 million pounds of surplus food from grocery stores in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows since launching in 2019.

In June alone, the program rescued approximately 37,500 kilograms – more than 82,000 pounds – of food that would otherwise have gone to waste, enough to provide an estimated 55,000 meals.

About 81 percent of recovered food is distributed directly to clients and partner agencies, while another 18 percent goes to local farmers for livestock feed. Only a small fraction ends up in organics, with none sent to landfill.

“We’re not simply distributing food,” Boekhorst said. “We are operating a daily logistics system that reduces waste, supports families, and strengthens the local social service network.”

The work addresses two growing challenges at once.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada estimates nearly half of Canada’s food supply is lost or wasted each year, while research cited by Environment and Climate Change Canada estimates about 11 million tonnes of edible food is unnecessarily wasted annually.

Beyond the food bank

Boekhorst said the organization has expanded well beyond traditional food hamper distribution.

Its school meal and snack program now supports more than 2,700 students each month through secondary schools, alternative education and Indigenous education programs.

The food bank also operates weekly seniors’ food distributions, home delivery services for seniors unable to travel, a weekly Pitt Meadows distribution from Grace Church, and supplies food to more than 14 community organizations including Hope for Freedom, RainCity Housing, The Salvation Army, The Hub and SOS.

He said centralizing food recovery and distribution helps community agencies avoid duplicating transportation, storage and refrigeration costs.

Accreditation expected this month

Boekhorst also updated council on the organization’s effort to achieve Food Banks Canada Standards of Excellence accreditation, a process that has been underway for about four years.

Boekhorst said it would allow Friends In Need to access national grant programs administered through Food Banks Canada while demonstrating compliance with national standards for governance, financial accountability, food safety and client care.

“We are looking to get the final stamp of approval by the end of July,” he said.

Ruimy praised the organization’s work and said municipalities also have a role to play in advocating for solutions from senior governments.

“When we see what’s happening around the country, around the world, food insecurity is everywhere, and it’s a challenge,” he said. “Grocery store costs are in and of themselves becoming a lot more unaffordable.”

“I look forward to seeing that accreditation when it comes down. I look forward to seeing if we can help write support letters in that process.”

Coun. Judy Dueck called the statistics “quite alarming,” saying many residents likely have no idea how many people rely on the food bank.

Coun. Onyeka Dozie said many people underestimate the importance of the organization’s work until they experience hunger themselves.

“Know that people love what you are doing,” he said. “You are saving more people than you can hear them speak to you.”