Photos: Friends receive help from City, TIMES
Pitt Meadows sets out a challenge for food collection
Pitt Meadows City staff and elected officials came to the Friends In Need Food Bank on Monday to help sort food. They were joined by TIMES staff who also helped in the sorting process. Both had collected food for the food bank.
Photograph by: Maria Rantanen , TIMES
Pitt Meadows City employees donated staff time and were joined by elected officials to sort through food donations at the Friends In Need Food Bank on Monday.
And City staff were joined by TIMES publisher Spence Levan - who is no stranger to volunteering in the community - and TIMES sales manager Livia Mior to help sort through recent donations, and getting a first-hand glimpse into the charity's operations.
The Friends In Need Food Bank gives out close to one million pounds of food per year, said Chuck Griffith, operations manager at the 227th Street facility.
"Whatever we get at Christmas will last us till June," Griffith said.
This was the first time Pitt Meadows Mayor Deb Walters had visited the food bank and she said she was amazed by the operation.
"It's very impressive to see how organized it is," she said. "It's impressive how many people they help."
But the mayor was concerned to learn that food runs out in July and donations dry up during the summer holiday season, adding she'd like to highlight that food is collected at Pitt Meadows Day for the Friends In Need Food Bank.
Food will also be collected at A Pitt Meadows Christmas this Friday evening at Spirit Square, and Walters hopes all Pitt Meadows residents pitch in.
"If everyone brought one can, imagine how much we'd get," Walters said.
In Pitt Meadows, Friends In Need Food Bank serves 251 households, which includes 151 children.
There was a last-minute friendly competition between the City of Pitt Meadows and The TIMES, to see which organization could bring in the most food.
It resulted in The TIMES being "clobbered," Griffith said. Between the two organizations, 600 pounds was collected.
After they finished sorting food, Levan shook hands with City of Pitt Meadows CAO Jake Rudolph and Walters, agreeding to the same challenge next year.
"Now we have 365 days notice instead of four," Levan said.
But, he added, the real winner is the food bank recipients, not the City or The TIMES.
For more information on the food bank, go to www.friendsneedfood.com.
Pitt Meadows City staff and elected officials came to the Friends In Need Food Bank on Monday to help sort food. They were joined by TIMES staff who also helped in the sorting process. Both had collected food for the food bank.
Photograph by: Maria Rantanen , TIMES
