Yes, sorting cans with the Greater Vancouver Food Bank (GVFB) CAN make a difference.
On March 17th, our Rovers worked with the GVFB to evaluate and sort donations for the food bank. By helping to sort donations we are performing a quality check to ensure that food items are of highest quality. Once items are approved for quality, items are sorted into categories such as sauces, or pastas. These grouped items will eventually be sent off to those in need. Not only did we help in sorting food items, but we also helped to sort items used in children’s’ care packages that the GVFB gives to families in need!
With the help of volunteers like ourselves, the GVFB provides food and other assistance to approximately 27,000 people per week, with a total of 4.4 million pounds of food distributed each year. Why would our Rovers take precious time out of their Saturday afternoon to help the GVFB? Because we believe giving back to our community is important.
Living in Vancouver, a fast-paced and industrious city, often leads us to think solely about ourselves and our own problems. Submerged in the bubble of “me”, we often forget about others and the community around us. While it might not seem apparent to us, British Columbia faces one of the highest poverty rates in Canada, where 1 in 5 children live in poverty.
A lot of people may feel pressured to do something big such as travelling to another country for volunteer work. As much as those large scale projects are respectable and meaningful in their own ways, it’s not always about the great that makes a difference. There is no harm in taking small steps to contribute to the greater good. If you can’t do the little things in life, how do you expect to conquer the big? Volunteering within your community gives you the opportunity to make an impact and a positive difference in someone’s life.
“We give back because it teaches us find compassion within ourselves and to stay attached to values that are linked to the common good.” – Mahatma Gandhi
If you would also like to get involved with the Greater Vancouver Food Bank click the link here: https://www.foodbank.bc.ca/get-involved/