Feeding the city's body, mind and soul

Preschool programs, expressive art therapy, nutrition classes welcome to the Richmond Food Bank.

People dont know about all the things that going on here. Thats the message we want to get out, explained Margaret Hewlett, executive director of the Richmond Food Bank.

In fact, Hewlett doesnt like to refer to the food bank as a warehouse, because although it does warehouse food, that image doesnt do justice to the cozy little corner set up for library time.

Nor does it reflect the food banks ageless volunteerism initiative in which teens and seniors work together to sort food, enjoy a nutritious lunch and take advantage of other services, such as expressive art therapy.

Hewlett stresses the food bank has no intention of duplicating what other community groups are doing, but we can provide a link.

One of the challenges community groups have is in connecting with the very people they aim to serve.

If a family is in crisis, for example, they might not have the time or resources to look into a quality preschool program or get to a health clinic. But they need dinner and will show up at the food bank.

We like to think of ourselves as a hub, that people can come and get food and get connected.

As such, Richmond Addictions Services, Vancouver Coastal Health as well as Pathways, a clubhouse for people with mental health issues, all now have a presence at the food bank. But, while the job of linking people up with other resources is important, food is still the bread and butter of the operation. And the fact is that, in this land of plenty, there is still an astonishing lack of it for so many in our community.

According to the annual Food Bank Canada report released last month, the number of people using food banks in Canada remains near record high, two years after the end of the last recession.

The study shows that during a snapshot month in 2011, more than 850,000 people relied on food handouts. While hunger isnt seasonal, its Christmas that fuels the whole year, said Hewlett.

We really depend on our Christmas Drive. This is when people are most willing to give.

This year the Richmond News is partnering with the Richmond Food Bank to help ensure families and individuals have food and the resources they need.

Were asking readers to drop off food at the Richmond News and a staff team will spend a day volunteering at the facility.

Moreover, were launching a series about the food bank in which well tell you more about the services offered there and who uses them.

We will also look into how it is that a temporary emergency food outlet established in 1981 evolved into an institutionalized second tier of Canadas social assistance system.

We will question the notion of philanthropy. While corporations and individuals often show great generosity in supporting the food bank, some argue that the economic system those same corporations and individuals benefit from is whats creating the need for food banks in the first place.

To quote Martin Luther King Jr., Philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary.

And then there is the role of government and Hewletts belief that all levels of governments have adopted a corporate model, much to the disadvantage of society as a whole.

So, watch for our series, which will run over the next few weeks, leading into the season of giving.