We would especially like to thank the following significant donors:

• ACFC West, Local 2020 CEP
• Acrohelipro Global Services Richmond Division
• Aeroguard Company Ltd
• Aeroinfo Systems, A Boeing Company
• Aeroplan & Employees
• Army, Navy & Airforce Veterans, Unit 284
• Auto West BMW
• BC Lottery Corporation
• BC Vegetable Greenhouse
• Bentall Real Estate Services
• Best Color Press
• Bob & Pauline Jones
• British Columbia Ferry Services Inc
• British Columbia Lottery Corporation
• Buddha's Light International Association
• Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation
• Campbell Froh May & Rice
• Canada Post
• Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
• Canadian Tire Associate Stores
• Canadian Union of Public Employees
• CBI Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation Centre
• Christian Reformed Church of Richmond
• Coast Capital Community Fund
• Columbia Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ltd
• Corinthian Distributors Ltd
• Cowell Motors Ltd
• CREO Inc
• David Ballentine
• Dr Neil Zastre Inc
• East Richmond Community Association
• ELSA - Richmond School District
• Eva Glittenberg
• Fran Oeser
• Gilmore Gardens Residents Council
• Gilmore Park United Church
• Global Television
• GML Mechanical Ltd
• Granby Enterprises Inc & Employees
• Great Canadian Casinos Inc
• Helping Hands Club of WorkSafeBC
• Henry Anderson School
• Hodder Tugboat Co Ltd
• Honda Canada Finance Inc
• Hunt Personnel Temporarily Yours
• IKEA
• India Cultural Centre of Canada
• International Buddhist Temple
• Island Veterinary Hospital
• Joachim Neumann
• John & Genevieve Massot
• John Koop
• JR FM Radio 93.7
• Kerry Financial Corporation
• Kodak Graphic Communication Canada Company
• Lakewood Blue Development Ltd
• Leonora Hardy
• London Secondary School
• Lynde Designs Ltd
• MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates Ltd
• Manulife Financial
• Margot Fowler
• McKinney Enterprises
• McMath Secondary School
• Nature's Path Foods Inc
• New Image Props & Decor
• K Del Properties Ltd
• Ocean Fisheries Ltd
• Ocean Pearl Enterprises Inc
• Opacity Design Group Limited
• Our Saviour Lutheran Church
• Pacific Friends of Children Society
• Parish of St Anne, Steveston
• Park'N Fly
• Pat & Tex Anderson
• Pattison Sign Group
• PCL Constructors Canada Inc
• Peter & Judy Ying Sun
• Porte Realty Ltd
• Pro-Claim Restoration
• Qualitree Christmas Tree Sales
• Raytheon Canada Ltd
• RC Palmer Secondary School
• Richmond Animal Hospital
• Richmond Auto Mall Association
• Richmond Centre Mall
• Richmond Chapter IODE
• Richmond Chinatown Lions Club Society
• Richmond Chinese Evangelical Free Church
• Richmond Community Foundation
• Richmond Country Club Ladies Executive Committee
• Richmond Fire Fighters Association
• Richmond Honda
• Richmond Mandarin Lions Club
• Richmond Pentecostal Church
• Richmond Public Library CUPE Members
• Rotary Club of Richmond
• S & T Stereo Printers
• Sahara Sisters Group
• Sanford Designs Ltd.
• Sanjay's Foods Ltd
• Scotiabank - Alderbridge Place
• Sea Agra Seafood Brokerage Ltd
• Signature Mazda
• Sound Developments
• St Alban's Anglican Church
• St Joseph the Worker Parish
• Steveston - London Secondary School
• Steveston United Church
• Strayton Fitness Ltd dba Curves
• Sutton Group - Seafair Realty
• Telecommunications Workers Union Local 60
• Telus Community Engagement
• TELUS Network Operations
• The Rotary Club of Steveston
• The World of Stamps
• United Commercial Travellers
• United Way of the Lower Mainland
• UPS Canada
• Vancouver Airport Conference Resort
• Verna & Bill Porteous
• Walter Lee School
• Westwind Elementary School
• Whiteside School
• Wild West Organics

Thank you Park'N Fly for the donation of almost 2000 pounds of food and drink. This comes at the time of the year when our stock is diminished and we're having to buy items for our grocery bags so it's very welcome.

We thank The Green Shield Canada Foundation for a $15,000 grant to sustain our Nutritious Recipes Demonstrations project.

We were surprised with an unexpected donation from WorkSafe BC who matched employee donations for a total of $5,000. Thank you Worksafe staff and management for your continuing support.

The Richmond Mandarin Lions Club invited RFB representatives to their 14th Anniversary and Annual Installation & Appreciation Dinner, where they presented cheques to a number of local organizations, including $1000 to the Richmond Food Bank Society. Thank you, Richmond Mandarin Lions.

June 12, 2008 - Westwind Elementary School donated two pallets of food collected by students during a competition. Thanks students and teacher Kim. And also thanks to Riley and Giancarlo for their donation from their birthdays when they asked guests to give money to the foodbank.

May 27, 2008 - Government Finance Officers Association of British Columbia collected $269.57 from members at their recent conference hosted by the City of Richmond. Thanks for thinking of us!

Richmond Food Bank receives $5,000 from Coast Capital Savings

The donation is part of Coast Capital Savings’ larger contribution of $49,500 distributed to 17 food banks on Vancouver Island and throughout the Lower Mainland.

“The demand of food banks exists throughout the year, and we hope our donation will encourage other businesses to lend their support,” said Karin Studer, Coast Capital Savings’ Director, Core Banking. 

The Richmond Chinatown Lions Club’s gala “LIONS for Cool-Aid” raised $25,000 to purchase a walk-in cooler and to complete renovations at the Richmond Food Bank.

A walk-in cooler is integral to our Friends of Children Dairy Program which gives fresh milk, cheese, or eggs each week to children and nursing mothers. Donations in excess of the cost of the cooler will go towards purchasing washable and durable, non-slip flooring for our high-traffic areas. The balance will buy milk, cheese, and eggs. 

The Richmond Chinatown Lions Club is committed to building a stronger and inclusive community in Richmond. The March 8 gala was an exciting and entertaining event that brought together people from diverse backgrounds and with many talents to work and play together in a common cause. We thank Co-Chairs Honourable Linda Reid and Lion Thurman So – and all the members of the Richmond Chinatown Lions Club – for their dedication and hard work to benefit neighbours in need.

A New Van for the Richmond Food Bank

The Richmond Food Bank received a surprise Christmas gift. The Milan and Maureen Ilich Foundation donated a brand new cargo van. The news of the planned gift was received with delight and gratitude on the busy day in December when the food bank’s sole vehicle had a breakdown in traffic, in the middle of its collection route.

When the Richmond Food Bank started 25 years ago, its volunteers used a Progressive Construction cube van to collect donations. For many years, its most significant funding also came from this community-spirited family and business.

This new van will expand the food bank’s fleet to two vehicles, allowing two teams of volunteers to collect the increasing number of corporate food donations through the year. It will also be used to collect produce from the fields during harvest season at the Sharing Farm, and it will be especially valuable during the busy giving season at Christmas.

The Richmond Food Bank is proud to have this clearly marked vehicle on the roads of Richmond. You can expect to see it at work almost any day of the week.

Dan Dere presents Margaret with a cheque from CUPE. CUPE has been donating $200 a month since 2004!

We thank the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation for its very valuable support to the Richmond Food Bank, including regular volunteer
service, annual Winter Relief distributions, and in December 2007 a $7,500.00 donation to buy healthy snacks for our "Feed the body, Feed the mind" programme.

Thanks to the Dream Team and all supporters of the 2007 Dream Auction which raised $35,490 for Richmond poverty reduction initiatives. The Richmond Food Bank Society received $12,500 to benefit children through “Feed the body, Feed the mind” healthy snack packs and our new Friends of Children dairy program.

August 2007 - A huge thanks to everyone involved in the very successful move to the new location. A thanks to everyone for remaining in good humour during an always trying move. Just some of the people who helped above and beyond the call: (some pictures)

• John, our volunteer electrician, whose holidays we stepped all over
• Mark, Andreas and all at Discount Car and Truck Rental for again loaning us a van and Mike for the forklift
• Ted, Tom, Glen, Al, Ed H, Chris
• all the packers: Sets and Alan; Johanna; Mike and son; Charis and Roger; Leslie, Doug and the Richmond Centre Group; Tzu Chi and many others
• the cleaners: Jack, Ellen, Erich, Maria, Sets and many others

The Gilmore Park United Church's Dream Auction to aid poverty initiatives in Richmond was a huge success again this year. The Food Bank was one of the beneficiaries, receiving $16,500.

Saturday, 02 December 2006 - Margaret receives a $6,500 donation from A.N.A.F. Unit 284's 1st Vice-President, Chuck McDonald.

Special Thanks

The Army, Navy & Airforce Veterans, Unit 284 are the recipients of the Richmond Chamber of Commerce's "Association of the Year" award which recognizes their outstanding work in the community. The ANAF Vets have been strong supporters of the Food Bank for our 25 year existence through their weekly meat draws.

June, 2002 - Canadian Tire local owners Dave Williams of Coppersmith Corner Store and Greg Saari of the No. 3 Road store and their employees and charity, the Foundation for Families, purchased a Chevrolet Express van for the food bank. Thanks Dave and Greg and Canadian Tire! Dedication and First Anniversary.

February, 2004 - The WCB's Helping Hands group approved our grant application to purchase an electric forklift and pallet racking. Dave and the group kindly took part in a photo session at the food bank. There was also a ceremonial presentation to all the groups receiving special project grant funds from the WCB Helping Hands Club. These groups included The Vancouver Food Bank, an AIDS support group and others.

We would like to thank those who helped with the office network and website. Thanks to Tim Chan for designing the website; Alec Home-Douglas for restructuring the site and for the ongoing technical advice; and thanks to Daniel Dent of OmegaSphere for web site hosting.