Combat food insecurity with Food Runners

Just like the rising prices of gas and rent, food inflation has been making the headlines over the last few months. Almost everyone is feeling the squeeze, however, some members of our community simply can’t afford the basic staples needed to live an active, healthy lifestyle. This is known as food insecurity and it’s become a serious issue throughout Canada.

It is probably no surprise that food insecurity is a major problem in British Columbia, and Fresh Prep want to be part of the solution. It’s our goal to bring people together through food and community and that is why we have joined forces with Vancouver Food Runners to combat food insecurity.

How is Vancouver Food Runners fighting food insecurity?

Here in British Columbia one in nine households are defined as food insecure. This distressing statistic is made even more shocking when you consider that 58% of all food produced in Canada goes to waste.

This is where Vancouver Food Runners comes in. Set up in 2019, Vancouver Food Runners is a local charity that is fighting food insecurity by redirecting perfectly good food (that would otherwise go to waste) to vulnerable members of our society.

Vancouver Food Runners created a food recovery program that matches food donors to non-profit partners and mobilizes volunteers to transport food between locations, efficiently and cost effectively. Their app provides Vancouver food businesses with a free and simple way to redirect their surplus to those who are food insecure.

So far Vancouver Food Runners has built up a network of over 160 food donors and 1600 volunteer food drivers, which has led to an incredible 711,000 pounds of food, or 592,500 meals being rescued.

Fresh Prep x Vancouver Food Runners: bringing people together through food & community

At Fresh Prep our goal is to bring people together through food and community. This is why we felt it important to partner with Vancouver Food Runners and tackle food insecurity together.

Ever since we partnered with Vancouver Food Runners in July 2021, we have been working hard to make sure any surplus food that doesn’t make it into our meal kits goes to a good cause. The primary charities receiving our donations include:

YWCA (Crabtree Corner)
Directions Youth Services
Kilala Lelum (Urban Indigenous Health and Healing Cooperative)
Tamura House (Lookout Housing and Health Society)
Aboriginal Front Door Society
Health Initiative for Men
PHS Community Services
DTES Distribution Hub

Here at Fresh Prep we are very proud of the community support work that we are able to carry out alongside Vancouver Food Runners. Even though this partnership is relatively new, we have already seen some incredible results:

Pounds of surplus food donated since the start of the partnership: 131,700
Equivalent meals donated: 109,750
Pounds of carbon dioxide mitigated from the environment: 71,513

Community giving can be a powerful tool, and with the holidays just around the corner we want to help households put food on the table. Sign up to our meal kit service and support our holiday initiative.

Support Fresh Prep and support your community this holiday season

The holidays is the season of giving, and with your help, that is just what we intend to do. With every holiday meal you purchase, we will make an additional donation to those in need. Bring your holiday meals to life with Fresh Prep’s exclusive holiday menu and simultaneously make a positive impact to your community.

How does it work? Simply sign up for our meal kit delivery service and order our holiday dinners and leave the rest to us. For every Roast Turkey Dinner, or NY Striploin Roast Dinner sold, Fresh Prep is donating the equivalent of 2 meals, to the food insecure. With your help we will donate up to 8,750 meals through our Fresh Prep partners, like Vancouver Food Runners, and help feed those in need this holiday season.

Fresh Prep is a community-based company and together we can make a difference through community giving. Don’t be a scrooge — help make food insecurity a ghost of Christmas past.

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