About Us
Our Mission
To be a caring organization that provides food assistance, advocacy, and related support for community members in need
Our Vision
A caring community where no one goes hungry
Our Values
- Respect- We treat everyone with compassion, trust and dignity
- Service- We seek innovative ways to better serve the community by providing safe and healthy food
- Cooperation- We work together with organizations and individuals towards a common goal
- Accountability- We strive to use donations, funds and resources in a transparent, efficient and responsible manner
- Advocacy- We provide an active and respected voice for the most vulnerable in our community
Our History
Founded on 6 March 1983 by the congregations of St. Alban Anglican Church and Richmond Presbyterian, the Richmond Food Bank has continuously provided nutritious food for our neighbours in need. Twenty families were served on that first day.
Today, the Richmond Food Bank serves over 2200 people on average every week. We provide nutritious grocery assistance through our grocery distributions, grocery parcels delivery service, breakfast and lunch programs in seven Richmond schools, and by supplying community partners with food for their programs.
We have moved around Richmond- including our first location in Howard De Beck School, the Public Works Yard on Lynas Lane, two locations in Steveston, and finally in our present location in Richmond City Centre (100-5800 Cedarbridge Way). Every move has been made without missing a single distribution day thanks to the hard work of our volunteers and the support of local businesses and organizations.
The Richmond Food Bank is not government-run or government-funded; we rely on our community donating food, money, and time to help our neighbours in need. We are a registered charity with a volunteer board of directors.
The Richmond Food Bank is a member of Food Banks BC and Food Banks Canada. We also hold membership with many community organizations including Richmond Cares Richmond Gives, the Richmond Poverty Reduction Coalition (formerly Richmond Poverty Response Committee), Vantage Point, Volunteer Canada, the Richmond Chamber of Commerce, and the Richmond Community Services Advisory Committee.
Food Bank Facts
- For every $1 we spend, we collect and distribute about $6 worth of food (based on 2019 data)
- We distribute food five days each week: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays
- We provide grocery distributions in four locations (off-site locations closed temporarily during the COVID-19 emergency)
- We have provided weekly grocery service to Richmond since 1983
- We serve over 2200 people and give out 20 000 lbs of food every week
- 55% of our clients are temporary users, most of whom are suffering through a crisis
- 32% of our clients are children
- 30% could be self-sufficient, but have cost of living concerns
- 15% are long-term users with multiple barriers to employment, including chronic illness, mental health problems, or disabilities
- 4% or less do not have housing
- 230 people volunteer every week; in addition, many groups volunteer with us on a weekly, monthly, or yearly basis
Board of Directors
Carol Yan Lau
Ed Montague
David Barbosa
Dave Elviss
Mamie Cathcart
Kelvin Choy
Lola Merenda
Steve Miller
Richard Rand
Hajira Hussain
Carol Yan Lau
Carol's background in the non-profit and property management sectors are a great benefit to the Richmond Food Bank board of directors.
Carol has been an active volunteer for over thirty years and has been on the RFB board of directors since 2015. Carol enjoys working with people towards a common goal.
Carol has been married to her husband Terrance for over 25 years. They and their two sons, Aidan and Connal, live in Richmond. Carol considers her family to be her greatest source of inspiration and happiness.
Ed Montague
Ed is a lawyer with Campbell Froh May & Rice and has been on the Richmond Food Bank board of directors since 1993.
Ed brings a wealth of governance experience having served on the BC Centre for Ability Association and Foundation boards, Trial Lawyers Association of BC board, American Association for Justice board, Law Society of BC Ethics Committee, and the BC Supreme Court Rules Revision Committee.
Ed and his wife Deborah have two children and enjoy spending time with photography, bird watching, and canoeing.
David Barbosa
David is a CPA, CA and holds a BBA in Accounting and Management Information Systems from Simon Fraser University. David joined the Richmond Food Bank Society's board of directors in November 2021. He began his early career articling at KPMG LLP and brings 20+ years of industry experience holding senior finance, IT, and CFO roles in the clean tech, consumer goods and food manufacturing sectors.
David, with his wife and five children, is grateful to be living on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) people, now known as Richmond. He is actively involved in his local community and also serves on the Board of CPAWS-BC, a non-profit conservation organization. He enjoys going on nature walks, cooking, travelling, and spending time with his family.
Dave Elviss
Dave Elviss is a Richmond resident for 30 years and a retiree from WorkSafe BC for more than 32 years.
While at WorkSafe, Dave served on their Helping Hands committee that raised funds for charitable causes, including the Richmond Food Bank. In fact, Dave and the Helping Hands committee donated the funds for our first fork lift.
Dave volunteers on the board of directors, at one of our school meals programs and at our Thursday evening grocery distribution. When he's not at the RFB, Dave enjoys reading, fly fishing, and researching genealogy and history.
Mamie Cathcart
Mamie has volunteered with the Richmond Food Bank Society's board of directors since 2000.
Mamie, her husband Jamie, and their two daughters live in the Steveston neighbourhood of Richmond.
Kelvin Choy
Kelvin is a CPA and Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS), focusing on Financial Crime and Enterprise Risk Management within the financial services industry. Kelvin also serves as the Chair of the Risk Committee at RFBS and is passionate about giving back to the community through his work with several non-profit organizations.
Kelvin and his wife reside in Richmond, and enjoy traveling, running, and playing tennis together in their free time.
Lola Merenda
Lola is a retired teacher and vice-principal in the Richmond school district. She has volunteered with the Richmond Food Bank since 2009, first during our Thursday grocery distribution and then as a member of the RFB Board of Directors. She currently serves as the President of the RFBS Board.
Lola volunteers on the Board of Directors because she wants to "share ideas to help keep the RFB moving in a positive direction."
Lola lives in Richmond and enjoys reading, going for walks, and visiting with her two sisters and two nephews.
Steve Miller
Steve is a long-time Richmond resident who worked for a fish-processing company for 35 years before retiring to spend his time playing hockey, riding his motorcycle, and volunteering with the Richmond Food Bank.
Steve volunteers on the board of directors and as a driver for our van. He also is a founding member of the RFB volunteers' dragon boat team.
Steve and his wife Mary (also a RFB volunteer) have two sons and six grandchildren.
Richard Rand
Richard is a financial advisor with RBC Dominion Securities since 1990 and a member of the RFB board of directors since 2007.
Richard has lived in Richmond since 1969. He enjoys spending time with his wife Karla, golfing, skiing, and traveling.
Hajira Hussain
Hajira is the Executive Director of the Richmond Food Bank Society and reports to the Richmond Food Bank Society's board. Hajira has over 15 years of experience in program planning, fundraising, stakeholder engagement, leadership development and operations management in the non profit sector.
Hajira joined the Richmond Food Bank Society in 2013 as its Volunteers Coordinator and in 2017, she was appointed to the role of the organization's Executive Director. Under her leadership a number of strategic initiatives and accomplishments around food access and distribution came to fruition. Hajira also serves on the board of Food Banks BC.
Hajira has lived and worked in India and the USA before moving to Canada in 2011. She has a Bachelors' degree in Applied Nutrition and Public Health from Osmania University and a Master’s in Health Services Administration from California State University, San Bernardino. She lives in Richmond with her Husband and two children. Hajira enjoys spending time with her family, cooking and exploring the outdoors.
