The Cortes Food Bank is trying to raise the $35,000 needed to relocate their base of operations to two sea-cans in the Village Commons at Manson’s Landing.

Operations Manager, Angelica Raaen, explained, “We have raised $14,000 so far, and we have a generous donor who’s offered to match donations up to $10,000. So we’re hoping that by the end of this month we can get $10,000 in community donations to match the $10,000 this donor has offered.”

Cortes Currents: Why is it necessary for the food bank to expand?

Beatrix Baxter, president of the food bank, replied, “We really scaled up our operations after realizing that there was a community need not being met. In 2022, we started offering regular pickup days. We joined Food Banks BC so we could access more regional resources, including food from partners. We also received grants, which allowed us to provide more food at regular intervals. But because of the extreme need, we were just doing way too much work for the system we had.”

“We have to go to our warehouse, pack all the boxes, bring them to the pickup location. It’s a lot of driving for staff and volunteers. At this point, we either need our own delivery vehicle or a headquarters. On top of that, our current storage won’t be available much longer.”

“Our clients have also asked for a more shopping-style model, which many food banks use. Instead of volunteers pre-packing boxes, people come in and choose their own food. That provides more choice, more flexibility, and overall a better system for everyone.”

“We partnered with the Community Foundation to use their sea-cans at the Village Commons. One will be storage, the other will be set up as a shopping space where people can pick up food. Angelica will also be able to work out of that space.”

“It’s a great opportunity for us and will improve the service we provide. It’s not expensive compared to a lot of projects, but for us it’s significant because we want as much money as possible going directly to food. It’s hard when you have to put funds into infrastructure.”

Cortes Currents: Is this part of a national crisis?

Angelica Raaen: “The need across Canada has increased a lot in the past few years. As of July 2025, people in Canada are paying 27% more for food than in July 2020. Food inflation has been about double that of regular inflation, and the cost of living has gone up—especially on Cortes. Many people have unreliable job security, especially seasonal workers, and some have seasonal housing, meaning they have to leave rentals in the summer and camp or stay in trailers.”

“We serve 30 to 40 people per month, and the number keeps rising.”

Beatrix Baxter: “When they did the last Hunger Count this year, it showed 2 million visits across Canada per month—numbers we’ve never seen before. It’s a moral and ethical crisis. At the same time, donations are going down, and government support is going down. It’s creating an emergency in people’s lives.”

“Some people imagine living on Cortes means supplementing food costs with a garden. But when you don’t have access to land, or you have to keep moving around, you can’t grow food. That’s what people used to be able to do here, living off the land. But you can’t do that if you don’t have stable housing. It’s an intersecting crisis with the housing crisis, and we see it firsthand at the food bank.”

Cortes Currents: What’s your vision for the Village Commons location?

Beatrix Baxter: “We’re imagining a really accessible and welcoming headquarters. A space that feels private for clients, but also connected to the community. It will provide reliable storage so we can also serve as emergency reserves. With a permanent home, we can finally start building that.”

Angelica Raaen: “We try to stay in touch with what our clients are experiencing and respond to what they ask for. But until now, we’ve been in emergency or reactive mode. Having a headquarters will give us stability and let us try more community-oriented projects—like the shopping space—to make the program stronger.”

Cortes Currents: Paint us a word picture. What will the space look like?

Beatrix Baxter: “One shipping container will be bulk storage, with just the basics—insulation, ventilation, a bit of heating. The other will be finished with windows, shelving, and a front desk for a shopping-style experience. Paving stones will connect the two, with a roof overhead to create a covered central space. Maybe a small table or some benches to make it comfortable. People can come out of the rain but still have privacy.”

Cortes Currents: Will there be space for frozen goods?

Angelica Raaen: “Yes, we’ve built some infrastructure through grants—fridges and a freezer. That lets us offer frozen meals prepared by Sunflower Foods, which our clients love. The fridges also allow us to keep produce longer and offer fresh food, which makes a big difference.”

Cortes Currents: Right now you do monthly pickups in Whaletown and Manson’s Landing. What will the new model be?

Beatrix Baxter: “We haven’t fully decided yet.”

Angelica Raaen: “We’ll continue pickups at the same frequency for now—once a month at Gorge Hall and once a month in Manson’s. We pre-pack hampers and bring them to those locations. That will continue alongside the new setup.”

Click here to donate

Cortes Currents: So will the new location be open twice a month?

Beatrix Baxter: “Possibly more. We’ll stay in touch with clients and adjust as needed. If people can’t get to the location, we’ll continue offering delivery for those without vehicles or with disabilities. Right now, the food bank is a bit of a concept rather than a physical place. Having a visible location will change that. People will know exactly where to go.”

Cortes Currents: Don’t you sometimes get urgent calls for food?

Beatrix Baxter: “Yes. Staff try to respond within 24 hours when possible. We can’t always, but we do have systems for emergencies. Having regular hours also helps people plan, knowing they have a day when they can get food.”

Cortes Currents: Anything else you’d like to add?

Beatrix Baxter: “We serve anyone who comes to us—everyone deserves food. You’ll always be treated with dignity. Even if you’re not sure whether the food bank is for you—come. It is. This food bank is for everyone in this community.

“If extra food helps you get through a hard time, come. If you’re grieving and can’t cook for yourself, come. If food prices mean you can only afford some of what you need, come. We can supply staples, we can provide basics. Maybe it’s just one month things are tight, just come. Even if you’re just visiting and hungry—come. The food bank is for everyone.”

Links of Interest

• Cortes Island Food Bank
• Hunger Count 2024
• Articles about, or mentioning, the Cortes Island Food Bank

Sign-up for Cortes Currents email-out:

To receive an emailed catalogue of articles on Cortes Currents, send a (blank) email to subscribe to your desired frequency:

• Daily, (articles posted during the last 24 hours) – cortescurrents-daily+subscribe@cortes.groups.io
• Weekly Digest cortescurrents – cortescurrents-weekly+subscribe@cortes.groups.io