As the price of food rises, so does food insecurity – an issue that’s being locally and actively tackled by grassroots food surplus distribution organization, Vancouver Food Runners. In anticipation of a busy summer season, the VFR is currently seeking new volunteers to fill the gaps in volunteer numbers that typically fall this time of year, just when the volume of fresh produce donations is increasing.

If you’re unfamiliar with how VFR works, here’s the rundown: Vancouver Food Runners takes food that would otherwise be wasted (including fresh produce from restaurants, unsold baked goods from bakeries, and grocery stores’ surplus dairy items) and passes it along to organizations providing food to those in need. What makes VFR extra-special is that they cut out the costly and timely ‘middlemen’ (delivery trucks and storage facilities), opting instead to coordinate their distribution by directly engaging with restaurants and other food suppliers, and connecting with community citizens to do the deliveries. Since being founded in 2020, the VFR, along with 1,700 volunteers, has provided over one-million meals to hungry people.

Interested volunteers can download the Vancouver Food Runners app in order to be alerted when a delivery is needed ASAP. When you see a delivery that fits in your schedule, and are able to help, you just log in to volunteer your time, pick up the food donation and deliver it to the specified non-profit. More details and download info can be found here, and by watching the handy video below.