The Quadra Island Food Bank has been open on the first and third Wednesdays, of every month, for years. They provide food for 50-60 people every time. Anyone with a Quadra Island address and photo ID can register. Up until recently, they have operated out of a storage facility next to the Quadra Community Centre. There was not enough room to comply with the new social distancing regulations, so they moved into the community centre. I recently asked coordinator Amanda Smith if there were other ways the COVID 19 crises has changed how the Quadra Island Food Bank operates. 

COVID 19

“We haven’t stopped through this disruption, but we have had to make a lot of changes to make sure we can do this safely for clients and volunteers,” she said. 

“We have seven volunteers. One had to drop out because she cares for an elderly parent, but we are otherwise intact. We had some help at the last food bank from Quadra’s emergency program volunteers, who made sure that when clients came to the food bank they maintained the two metre spacing as they approached the doors.”  

People are no longer allowed access to the inside of the food bank. Nor can they go through the food items and choose what they want. Prepackaged boxes are pushed out to them. 

The Quadra Island Food Bank’s Supply Lines

Some of the food bank’s normal supply lines have been cut off. They are no longer allowed to accept food donations from the public. Up until now, they obtained fresh produce and bread from the Campbell River Food Bank –  but Campbell River no longer has a surplus and some Quadra Island volunteers would prefer to stay on their island.

This means the Quadra Island Food Bank has to buy all of its supplies. 

“The thing about purchasing is that the supply chains to the grocery stores are really topsy turvy right now. We can order something and not know whether we‘ll get it or not until the actual day of delivery. So we are having to double up on our ordering from various stores and hope to receive our orders. That has been a real challenge. We have the funds, but we can’t get the foods in large quantities,” said Smith.  

Food

What’s the most popular food item? 

“They really have to have their Kraft mac and cheese, they don’t want any other brand – it has to be Kraft original mac and cheese.” 

(Which is why I choose the feature image above)  

Aside from that: the food bank provides fresh produce in season, fresh fruits, oranges, apples potatoes, carrots, onions, eggs, milk, bread, “all the canned stuff” – juice, beans, tuna, pasta, soup, rice, lentils and oats. 

Going Forward

Smith has noticed a 20% increase in the number of people coming to the food bank since the COVID 19 crises started. 

“We hope we are [still] in a good position, but with people losing their jobs and businesses closing down, we do not know what to expect.” 

She takes consolation in Quadra Island’s long record of community support, “We know that if we do run into trouble with shortages, our community will come through for us. They always have.” 

Anyone who wants to help out, they can donate their Spirit points, obtained through purchases at Quadra Island’s Tru Value stores, to the food bank. Or they can donate money directly to the Quadra Island Food Bank.

Top photo credit: Mac and Cheese by Selena N. B. H. via Flickr (CC BY SA, 2.0 License)