Vancouver Food Bank seeking donations at New Year's Eve

Revellers at New Year’s Eve Vancouver have an opportunity to provide the Greater Vancouver Food Bank with a strong kick start into the New Year.

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The food bank will be on location at the festival site along Canada Place Way between Howe and Burrard streets. Donations in the form of both food and cash are needed as the food bank’s supplies are depleted following the high-demand Christmas season.

Volunteers from the food bank will be present collecting food and donations. Their booth will also have games, face painting, and other fun activities.

“During this time of the year, we hope to collect about 65 to 70 per cent of the food that will serve us for the entire year,” Ariela Friedmann, the Communications Director for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank, told Vancity Buzz.”But we still have empty shelves in our warehouse – we want them filled.

Supplies have quickly run out during the Christmas season, even with over 1,000 food drives that have been held at schools and businesses over the past month.

For New Year’s Eve, Friedmann says there is a greatest need for non-perishable items that are high in protein, such as canned salmon and tuna. Other nutritious items include canned beans, chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, and 100 per cent natural nut butters.

Alternatively, revellers at the festival can provide a cash donation, which allows the food bank to buy fresh foods from local farmers. For every dollar donated, up to $3.00 of fresh food can be purchased as the food bank has buying power through business deals with local farmers.

“Someone can only live on canned produce for so long, and it would be so nice for people to have seasonal fruit or vegetables. Right now we have potatoes in stock, as well as squash and eggs.

The Greater Vancouver Food Bank supports the needs of 26,500 people across the region every week. Of this figure, 20 per cent are children and 19 per cent are seniors.

New Year’s Eve Vancouver at Canada Place Way starts at 6 p.m. and ends at midnight with an 11-minute-long fireworks display.

New Year’s Eve Vancouver 2016

Where: Canada Place Way and Coal Harbour, Downtown Vancouver

When: 6 p.m. Thursday, December 31, 2015 to 12:20 a.m. January 1, 2016

NYE Vancouver Festival: 6 p.m. to 12:20 a.m.
CF Pacific Centre Lounge: 8 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
Early Eve Countdown Fireworks: 9 p.m.
Midnight Countdown Fireworks: 12 a.m.