SOOKE – MLAs Ravi Parmar and Grace Lore say that funding distributed to local food banks and food security programs across B.C. will help support people in need in the CRD.
“When people are struggling to access nutritious food, having a food bank in their community can be life-changing,” says Ravi Parmar, MLA for Langford-Juan de Fuca. “With this funding, people can continue to count on their local food bank to help them through tough times.”
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 Victoria, Sooke, Langford.
In the CRD, the following organizations received funding:
- The Mustard Seed Street Church, $46,048
- Goldstream Food Bank, $30,156
- The Sooke Food Bank, $18,452
“The Mustard Seed has been doing amazing work for so many years to serve vulnerable people in Victoria,” says Grace Lore, MLA for Victoria-Beacon Hill. “With this funding they’ll have more resources to do the work that people have come to know and love them for in our community.”
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 the CRD 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