City of Vancouver seeking donations of single-use items and bottled water

After years of actively spearheading efforts to not only reduce but eliminate the use of single-use items amongst businesses, the City of Vancouver is now seeking urgent donations of single-use items and bottled water for its COVID-19 emergency efforts.

The municipal government is asking businesses and the general public to donate takeout containers, disposable cutlery, and food packaging for the purpose of its operations of providing free or low-cost meals in a hygienic and safe way to Downtown Eastside residents and other homeless and vulnerable populations.

Additionally, the city is asking for donations of bottled water that can be given to people who are self-isolating or do not have access to safe drinking water.

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“The City is focused on protecting our residents and ensuring that our most vulnerable populations have access to the services they need – including fresh food and water,” said City Manager Sadhu Johnston in a statement.

“We acknowledge that our request for takeout containers and bottled water may seem counter-intuitive for a city who has championed zero waste policies, however, our priority during these extraordinary times is doing what we can to keep our residents healthy and safe. If you are a business who is able to donate these items, we would encourage you to do so and help to hygienically feed those most affected by this pandemic.”

The donations can be made through the municipal government’s COVID-19 Give a Hand Vancouver online supply hub, which was launched early this month to rally and organize the donation or provision of low-cost products and services.

Additionally, financial donations can be made to the Vancouver Foundation’s Community Response Fund, which has already raised about $6.7 million for community groups providing emergency relief services to vulnerable individuals. To date, the fund has issued 98 grants to organizations such as SUCCESS BC, QMUNITY LGBTQ resource centre, and various food banks.