Immigrant Link Centre Society volunteers prepare food hampers – while following COVID-19 safety protocols
How does a group of Canadian newcomers shift from reading about food waste to feeding 2,500 neighbours each month?
It takes five years of dedication, 365 days a year and includes 15 distribution sites, 8 participating grocery stores and 75 volunteers, including 35 drivers – from over 15 countries – to serve over 30 different families daily.
The Immigrant Link Centre Society is the group doing all this work. Co-founder Igor Bjelac says, “We started as new immigrants in English class five years ago and read about food waste. Young, Reihaneh, Tom, Basem, Ali and I wanted to give back to Canada and delivered food to 20 families in Vanier School in the first year. They were thrilled! We got so many positive reactions, we wanted to continue.“
During that first year, the co-founders volunteered three days a week, paying for everything from their own pockets. The initiative was such a success, they created a society and approached United Way British Columbia (United Way) for advice.
“Honestly, four years ago, you were the roof organization for everyone and you gave very good advice and that advice helped,” says Igor of United Way’s involvement.
The society became a charity in their third year and started working seven days per week.
Local Love Food Hub
After COVID-19 hit in March, the society became a Local Love Food Hub, then received funding from the Government of Canada’s Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF), which aims to help charities and non-profit organizations adapt and increase frontline services for vulnerable populations during the pandemic. Thanks to this support, new Canadians are receiving much needed nourishment and food waste is being prevented.
“Every aspect of the Immigrant Link Centre exemplifies the best of what a Local Love Food Hub can achieve,” says Kim Winchell, Senior Director, Strategy & Operations at United Way. “Communities are connecting, our network of partners is mobilized, an underserved community has access to the food they need and they are a sustainable, viable organization. Along with ECSF support, our donor funding helps ensure the urgent work of food purchasing, meal preparation and delivery of meals and hampers. By working together with organizations like Immigrant Link Centre, we are co-creating solutions for today and tomorrow.”
ILCS Co-Founder Igor Bjelac loads boxes from a store. The society has 35 drivers who pick up food near best-before dates each day.
Food Rescue Vital to Success
Each morning, one of the society’s 35 volunteer drivers picks up food at a participating store. The food is near best before dates and would otherwise be thrown out. It is then packaged into hampers or prepared for meal delivery by volunteers and is distributed to the Immigrant Link Centre’s “Win-Win” free food project and organizations from homeless shelters and churches to six Metro Vancouver housing locations.
Food rescue is vital to this Local Love Food Hub. “Millions of dollars of food are wasted every day,” says Igor. “That’s not normal. We’re really trying to change that. This isn’t the privilege of one organization. We all need to work together.”
Over 30 clients per day, including families of four to six people, pick up hampers. On any given day, the society is serving up to 200 people. The group plans to have more distribution sites by the end of 2020, with the goal of feeding 10,000 people annually in all 49 Metro Vancouver Affordable Housing locations.
In addition, the organization is working to be sustainable financially through their social enterprise, Soul Bite, which offers frozen vegan food and connects customers to Eastern European and the Middle Eastern comfort cuisine. The enterprise also funds projects dedicated combatting food waste and is proudly partnered with Vancity Credit Union and the City of Coquitlam.
“Together we can make a difference in thousands of lives by connecting food charities with the resources they require to keep feeding those in need,” says Igor with pride.
Local Love in Action
What began as a small group of friends showing kindness has grown into a caring family. The organization’s work shows how a small act of local love, when nurtured, can have a ripple effect and grow to make a lasting impact in many communities.
Fellow society co-founder, Reihaneh Mirjani credits the organization’s success to camaraderie. “Most of our participants are volunteers,” she says. “They are happy and want to work more. Really, our work is like friendship; all of us are working like a big family. This morning, a driver called to say he was in the hospital with his mom. He didn’t know what to do with his small kids. I called to another driver, who said, ‘Don’t worry; we will handle it!’ We support each other.”