The Richmond Food Bank is available to help Richmond residents who are experiencing financial difficulties. We work on the honour system, without an income or means test. The food we offer has been donated by the community to help people in need.
Where and when to get food:
Clients can collect a weekly grocery hamper once a week (per household).
New clients: Please Register Online before your first food bank visit using the form below, and bring ID for everyone in your household on your first visit. If you have trouble with the form, you can also register in-person on your first visit.
When you arrive at the food bank, please line up outside and keep 6 feet physical distance from anyone who is not a member of your household.
Please do not arrive before we open. You will not receive extra food or be served first by arriving first (we will do a random number draw if there is a lineup at opening time), and long lineups at opening time make physical distancing a challenge.
Locations and times:
West Richmond Location: You can pick up your weekly hamper on Monday between 3:30-5pm sharp at Francis Road and No 1 Road at the parking lot near West Richmond Community Centre and Hugh Boyd secondary, across from Petro-Canada. You can pick up by car (drive through option) or on foot.
ID for everyone in your household who needs food. This can be any government issued ID such as a driver’s license, BCID, passport, Care Card, birth certificate, citizenship card, Canadian permanent resident card, Record of Landing Form, immigration documents (e.g., Work Permit, Study Permit, Visitor Record, Temporary Resident Permit, Refugee Approved Status), or Status Card
Proof that you live in Richmond, such as a recently dated piece of mail, letter from a community or governmental agency, or rental receipt. You must bring your proof of address every time you pick up food. Please call us or talk to a staff member if you can’t show a piece of mail.
Your own grocery bags
If you are picking up food for someone else (such as a friend, neighbour, or anybody else outside of your own household), please bring the ID of the person you are collecting for. The person you are collecting food for must be a registered client of the food bank. Please call us with questions.
What to expect:
We serve registered clients non-perishable food hampers and fresh foods (dairy or substitutes, baked goods, frozen foods, and produce) at the door. Starting September 13th, registered clients showing that they have had two covid-19 vaccination shots may opt to go inside the food bank to receive their non-perishable foods and fresh foods (dairy or substitutes, baked goods, frozen foods, and produce). A maximum of 10 clients will come indoors at a time to allow for physical distancing.
Masks are mandatory inside of the food bank.
When you arrive, you may need to wait to be served. Please be respectful of others, do not smoke while in line, wear a mask or face cover (unless you are exempt), and maintain a distance of at least 2 metres (about 6 feet) between yourself and the others in line. Access to the washroom will also be restricted (no public washroom is available).
Groceries will include foods from a variety of categories, including:
protein items, such as canned fish or meats, legumes
pasta/rice/noodles
tinned/canned meals
tinned vegetables/fruits
You will also receive an assortment of fresh produce (fruit and vegetables), dairy (or non-dairy substitutes as available), baked goods, and fresh or frozen meat/protein foods.
If you’re curious about what Best Before and Expiry dates mean, and our policies around them, please read this post or Contact Us.
Register online:
To speed up your first visit, register with the online form below. (Or you can register in person on your first visit.) People in the same household should register together on the same form. Please bring ID for each person in your household on your first visit, so that we can verify your ID(s). If there are more than 4 people in your household, please ask us in person to add them to your household record on your first visit (please bring their IDs). Thank you. You can view our complete privacy policy here.
How we use information we collect:
The Richmond Food Bank respects client information and keeps it private. Only trained individuals who have signed a confidentiality agreement can access our client database, and must keep the information private.
We use client information for specific reasons including:
• To Run and Improve Our Programs: For example, tracking the number of client visits each week.
• To Do Research: We may use client information for research. All information remains anonymous and will only be shared with qualified persons.
• To Connect Clients with Other Programs: At a client’s request only, we may share personal information to check eligibility for other benefits or programs.
• To Report Abuse or Harm: We are required by law to provide information to law enforcement in certain cases, for example, if a client causes harm to a member of our staff/volunteer team or to another client, or damages our property. We may also share client information in case of a threat to the public.
