Comox Valley Food Bank To Host First Open House Today

The Comox Valley Food Bank is holding its first annual Summer Open House this afternoon.

“We want to raise awareness of what we do because some of the public probably don’t even know what our program does,” says Comox Valley Food Bank executive director David Reynolds.

“Our hope is just to invite anyone that’s interested in seeing what we do and give them a tour of the facility.”

The Food Bank says it's a way to celebrate the support they have received over the years and to share their future plans with the broader community.

It’s being held today from 2pm-5pm at the food bank on McPhee Ave - they moved into their new digs last summer.

The food bank says it is clear that based on the numbers they are seeing month to month, the need for food in the community is increasing, and many people are struggling to feed themselves and their families.

In May alone, the Comox Valley Food Bank rescued over 80,000 pounds of food, which was then distributed across over 3,500 visits and to multiple organizations.

Of that 80-thousand pounds, less than 1% ends up in the landfill, something the food bank says it's pretty proud of.

Future projects will include expanding the facility for more food-rescue capacity, supporting art projects that contribute to the space and tell a story about food security; and completing their kitchen space so that they can work with local partner organizations and prepare, portion, and preserve food in ways that will extend shelf life and improve distribution.

Today’s event will include multiple raffle prizes, music, a BBQ, and many opportunities to learn more about the specific work that happens at the Food Bank.