Friends In Need Food Bank

What an incredible week of community impact.

Thanks to 115 dedicated volunteers, 5,985 bags delivered to local doorsteps, and 621 households who generously filled their bags, our community came together in a powerful way — collecting 8,000+ lbs of food for families in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.

A huge shout‑out to Josh and the amazing team at Meridian Meats & Meridian Farm Market for their leadership and support. BC Thanksgiving Food Drive and the team's commitment played a major role in the success of this year’s campaign, and we’re deeply grateful for their partnership.

As we celebrate this momentum, a quick reminder that Purolator Red Bag Campaign collection happens this Saturday in City of Pitt Meadows. If you received a Red Bag, please leave it out by 9 AM so volunteers can pick it up. Every bag filled helps nourish a neighbour.

Thank you for showing up for your community. 🧡

Big shoutout to Pitt Meadows Wellness and the Pitt Meadows community for pulling together 75lbs of food for Friends In Need Food Bank. Your support helps us keep shelves stocked for families in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.

🍂𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫

From community support to food bank updates, there’s lots to catch up on.

Take a peek at what we’ve been up to — our September newsletter is linked in the comments!

Our BC Thanksgiving Food Drive officially kicks off today, and Friends In Need Food Bank is grateful to be part of this important community effort. From September 14–19, volunteers will be out across Maple Ridge delivering donation bags and collecting non‑perishable food to help support local families during a time of record demand.

With nearly 1,000 households relying on Friends In Need each week and community food donations declining, this drive plays a vital role in keeping shelves stocked heading into the fall.

If a donation bag arrives at your home, please consider filling it with non‑perishable items. Every contribution makes a meaningful difference for neighbours in need.

Thank you for helping us support our community during this critical week. 💛🍁

$𝟐𝟓,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦!

Friends In Need Food Bank Society is deeply grateful to receive $𝟐𝟓,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐚 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦.

This program operates every day to rescue quality fresh food and redirect it to families across our community. With uncertainty ahead regarding the long‑term location of our recovery facility, this funding arrives at a crucial moment. It will help us reinforce the program, prepare for potential changes, and ensure fresh recovered food continues reaching the people who need it most.

Thank you to the Canada Post Community Foundation for believing in our work and investing in local food security. Every contribution helps us rescue more food, reduce waste, and support more neighbours. ❤️

Food insecurity doesn't always look the way people expect. It can affect:

✔️ Working families
✔️ Seniors on fixed incomes
✔️ Students
✔️ People receiving disability supports
✔️ Individuals facing unexpected life changes

Here in our community, we continue to see more people accessing support who never imagined they would need a food bank.

Food insecurity is not a personal failure. It's often the result of rising costs outpacing incomes.

Nothing makes us smile like healthy food filling our hampers.

Thank you to everyone who helps us keep our community nourished and thriving 🍓🌱

Come visit us this Saturday at the Shop Maple Ridge Market!

Friends in Need Food Bank is proud to be part of the City of Maple Ridge’s Our Neck of the Woods festival—celebrating community, connection, and local support.

📍 Memorial Peace Park
📅 Saturday, September 5
⏰ 2:00 PM–7:30 PM
🎟️ Free community event

Drop by our booth to meet our volunteers and learn more about the work we’re doing to support families in Maple Ridge & Pitt Meadows.

Don't forget to bring your non-perishable food item!

A proud milestone for Friends In Need! 🎉

We are very pleased to share that Friends In Need Food Bank Society is now officially accredited through Food Banks Canada's Standards of Excellence program.

These national standards provide a framework for accountability and continuous improvement across areas including client service and care, food operations, safe food handling, governance and organizational practices.

Achieving accreditation involved a thorough review of how we operate and reflects a tremendous amount of work by our staff, volunteers and Board of Directors.

It doesn't change our mission or the work we do each day—but it does provide another level of assurance to our community, donors and partners that Friends In Need is committed to operating responsibly, transparently and to a recognized national standard.

A big thank you to everyone who helped us reach this milestone.

We did it!

Food Banks Canada