The community gave generously this Christmas and that means 2,500 needy people in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows will regularly receive food.

Christmastime is when donations are the highest to most charities, and that includes the Friends In Need Food Bank, therefore, that's when the big push is on to get as many donations as possible.

The goal for the 2011 Christmas season was to raise $100,000 and Joanne Olson, food bank executive director, said they met that target.

Olson was worried because several big fundraisers, the Santa Claus Parade and firefighters boot collection were down, but in the end they met their goal and well exceeded the fundraising efforts of Christmas 2010, which were about $88,000.

Olson credited all the small donations coming in from individual donors that put them over their fundraising target as well as an improving economy.

"People are doing a little better themselves so they're thinking of us," Olson said.

The total budget for the food bank is about $300,000, which ensures between 700 and 750 hampers are given out every month, feeding altogether about 2,500 people.

These are seniors, young families, and singles, many of them the working poor who can't make ends meet after all the bills are paid.

"[Minimum wage] jobs don't pay enough for people to survive," Olson said. "Rents are very high, especially in the Lower Mainland."

The money raised this winter pays for food until June, Olson said.

Olson pointed out that while other agencies have had funding cut, Friends In Need has continued to receive the same provincial grant, about $67,000 per year.

The number of people accessing the food bank is going up slowly every year, Olson said. Clients receive monthly hampers, but in addition they can now come in once a week for fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as the usual bread and buns.

There are about 50 regular volunteers at the food bank helping to sort donations and distribute food hampers and other food and household items - and some extras - to clients from Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.

Altogether they contribute about 10,000 hours to help run the food bank, coordinated by Yvonne Desabrais, the Friends In Need volunteer coordinator - itself a volunteer position.

The food bank also gives out shampoo, toothpaste, and cleaning supplies, diapers and Depends, diabetic foods, dog food, and even sometimes special diet items like gluten-free bread.

Donations are always needed, and the best donation is high-protein foods like peanut butter, cash to help pay for overhead costs, for example, the rent on their building that's $4,000 per month - and canned tomatoes.

"You can make so much with [tomatoes]," Olson said.

The Friends In Need Food Bank is ubiquitous in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. Organizers of events around the two communities, sports events, community events, parties, meetings, regularly ask participants to bring a donation to the food bank.

After almost three years at the helm of the Friends In Need Food Bank, Olson said she wishes governments would look at the bigger picture around hunger and poverty to find solutions.

Welfare clients are often "lumped" into one group, Olson said, and aren't looked at as individuals.

The dismantling of the mental health system has had a huge impact, she said, for example, when Riverview Hospital was closed.

However, she blames both the left and right political wings for the problems, the right trying to save money and the left trying to get people out of institutions.

While some institutions weren't that good, she said, at least people had a roof over their heads.

The Friends In Need Food Bank is gearing up for its next big fundraiser, celebrating the beginning of the Chinese Year of the Dragon on Jan. 28.

The event will be held at the Pitt Meadows Heritage Hall, 12460 Harris Rd. Doors open at 6 p.m. with a Chinese buffet dinner served at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $25 per person and include dinner and an evening filled with live entertainment, live and silent auction, and more. It's possible to buy a table for 16 for $350. For tickets call Ineke Boekhorst at 604-467-2420 or Joanne Olson at 604-466-3663.

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Year of the Dragon celebration

Who: Friends In Need Food Bank

What: Chinese New Year celebration

When: Jan. 28 at 7 p.m.

Where: Pitt Meadows Heritage Hall, 12460 Harris Rd.

Why: To raise money for the food bank

How: To buy tickets, call Ineke at 604-467-2420 or Joanne at 604-466-3663

mrantanen@mrtimes.com