MLA Osborne says funds for food bank in Mid Island and Pacific Rim regions will support people in need 

UCLUELET – MLA Josie Osborne says that funding distributed to local food banks and food security programs across B.C. will help support people in need in the Mid Island and Pacific Rim regions. 

“When people in our community are facing food insecurity, knowing we have food banks they can reach out to is a weight off many shoulders,” said Josie Osborne, MLA for Mid Island-Pacific Rim. “This extra funding will help our food banks continue to offer this help for people when they need it.”

In August 2023, the Province announced $15 million in funding for Food Banks B.C. to help people in B.C. access nutritious food in their communities. This funding was then distributed by Food Banks B.C. to local organizations, including in Port Alberni, Ucluelet, Denman, and Hornby Island.

In Mid Island-Pacific Rim, the following organizations received funding:

  • Port Alberni Salvation Army Community Food Bank, $12,500
  • Food Bank on the Edge Society (Ucluelet), $7,500
  • Denman Island Community Education Society Food Bank, $4,500
  • Hornby Island Community Kitchen and Food Bank, $4,500

This funding is an investment to support food banks in B.C., and was part of a larger $200 million announced in the spring for work to strengthen the food supply, increase availability of fresh food, encourage food production in remote areas, strengthen food infrastructure, and create more regional food hubs.

Funding for these local organizations helps them to have a direct impact on their communities, and be able to choose how best to serve people in need. This funding is key in communities like Port Alberni, Ucluelet, Denman, and Hornby Island, where food insecurity has risen due to global inflation, and emergencies that have interrupted supply chains and food production.

Learn More: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023SDPR0051-001338