Programs
Rotary / Save-On-Foods
Shopping Card Program
The Rotary Club of Lake Country have collaborated with Save-On Foods to introduce a new shopping card program to benefit the Food Bank. When you purchase a Rotary/Save-On Foods shopping card, 8% of the value of each gift card goes to our local food bank with no cost to you! The 8% sponsorship, provided by Save-On Foods, is currently being matched by a private donor for a limited time. This is a fabulous program that contributes a significant amount to LCFB!
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To date, the value of Save-On Shopping Cards purchased has reached over $500,000, and $61,000 has been raised to support people in our community who need food assistance!
Purchase your Rotary Save-On Foods Card at any of the approved vendors listed or contact your favourite Rotarian by sending an email to: cards@lakecountryrotary.ca
Recycle and Donate to the
Lake Country Food Bank!
When you return your empty bottles, cans and plastic containers to the Winfield Return-It Center, just ask that your deposit refunds be credited to the Lake Country Food Bank account. This is an easy way to make a donation to the Food Bank and help the environment by recycling plastics and other waste.
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For information on planning a bottle drive for the Food Bank, click the Return-It logo below.
Food Recovery
The Lake Country Food Bank Food Recovery Program is an important initiative that addresses the issue of food waste while also helping to provide nourishment to those in need. By collecting surplus food from local grocery stores, farmers, food producers, and distributors, the program ensures that food that would otherwise be thrown out as waste is redirected to the highest and best use.
One of the key aspects of the program is that it accepts all food, regardless of quality. This means that even food that may not meet the strict standards for sale in grocery stores can still be put to good use. The program's volunteers sort the collected food into categories based on its condition and remaining refrigeration life. Food that is still fit for human consumption and has a reasonable shelf life remaining is made available to the food bank clients, providing them with fresh and nutritious options.
Food with a shorter shelf life is directed to soup kitchens and food preparation groups for immediate use, ensuring that it is utilized while still fresh. This helps to prevent food waste and ensures that food is put to its highest and best use as quickly as possible. Any food that does not meet the standards for human consumption is made available to local farmers for use as animal feed or for composting, creating a closed-loop system that minimizes waste.
By offering a cost-effective, socially responsible, and environmentally friendly way for retailers to dispose of surplus food, the Lake Country Food Bank Food Recovery Program not only addresses food waste but also contributes to the well-being of the local community and the environment. It is a valuable initiative that helps to reduce food waste, provides nutritious food to those in need, and promotes sustainability.
Food Recovery Program
Why is so much food being wasted in our country? More than 40% of all food produced in Canada is wasted. Over 30% of all fruits and vegetables are rejected by supermarkets because they are not attractive enough for consumers. The Perishable Food Recovery Project is designed to provide food banks with access to food that is “fit for consumption” but not “fit for sale”.
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Click on the attached video for more information on this key initiative that redirects perishable food that would otherwise be wasted, to those in need.
Visit our page on Food Waste for more information.
Helping Through Sharing
The "Helping Through Sharing" network began with very humble beginnings. The Lake Country Food Bank simply wanted to share their excess bread. By contacting some smaller food banks such as Cherryville, Lumby, and Enderby, they indicated they often needed more fresh produce, dairy products, bread and sometimes other food items for hampers. So in 2016, other small food banks in the area, as well as local community organizations, were contacted to find out if we could share our excess with them. The response was extremely positive and as a result, in 2017, the "Helping Through Sharing" network was formalized. Today the "Helping Through Sharing" network has 15 food banks that work together and over 35 community organizations that are supported. In 2021 over 560,000 pounds of food was donated to the LCFB through their Food Recovery Program. In turn, the Lake Country Food Bank shared over 260,000 pounds to partners in the "Helping Through Sharing" network.
