16 Oct Georgia Main staff roll up their sleeves to support the Immigrant Link Centre Society
In recognition of Hunger Action Month and the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, Georgia Main Food Group recently gave five members of its team the chance to take a break from their usual routines to volunteer with the Immigrant Link Centre Society (ILCS) in Coquitlam. Their mission? To experience firsthand how IGA of BC, Fresh St. Market and Meiga Supermarket’s unsold food is making a tangible difference in the community, by assembling their donated food into nutritious hampers for people in need.
Partnering for a purpose
ILCS has been a crucial member of the FoodMesh network since back in 2020, when it joined our managed food diversion service to pick up donations from its local grocery store. Fast forward four years, and it is now collecting unsalable food from 22 retail stores working with FoodMesh – five of which are part of the Georgia Main Food Group. Every day, these stores box up the food they are unable to sell – either because it is close to its peak freshness date, or has aesthetic imperfections – and put it aside ready for ILCS volunteers to collect it. The food is then brought back to one of ILCS’s distribution centres, where it is sorted and carefully packed into hampers to be given out to local community members facing food insecurity.
To date, this impressive charity has rescued over 3 million KG of unsold food through FoodMesh alone – equal to approximately 5 million meals. ILCS is well on its way to realizing its ambitious mission to “lead the way in food recovery by rescuing surplus food, distributing it to those in need”, by serving a staggering 4,500 people every fortnight from its 24 distribution sites across BC’s Lower Mainland. Of course, all this could not be possible without its 377-strong army of volunteers, who work tirelessly to ensure food reaches those who need it most. On this particular fall day, that team of volunteers was joined by Georgia Main staff who were curious to experience ILCS’s operations up close.
A hands-on experience
After a warm introduction and briefing from ILCS Co-Founder Young Bong, the Georgia Main team jumped into action. They worked their way from box to box, sorting through products from every corner of the grocery store, determining what was still edible, and what had reached its end. As they worked, a couple more truckloads of food donations arrived. Neatly lined up on trestle tables were 80-90 large plastic totes with a page on each to detail the number of family members the hamper would be going to, as well as any dietary preferences and allergies they have. Young relayed the importance of paying close attention to these details as the volunteers filled each tote with an assortment of nutritious products. By the end, the totes were overflowing with goodies and the volunteers were struck by the quality of the products, which included fresh produce, deli sandwiches, meat of all kinds, yoghurt, eggs, bread and other baked goods.
Making a difference, one hamper at a time
When the time came for distribution, ILCS’s clients arrived to receive their hampers. The operation ran like clockwork, with volunteers calling out hamper numbers and Georgia Main staff eagerly fetching the overflowing totes. Each encounter with a client came with a smile, reinforcing the personal impact of their efforts.
For Tom Truchan, Georgia Main’s Director of Health & Food Safety, Sustainability & Logistics, the experience was eye-opening. “Distributing the hampers to the clients was a highlight,” he reflected. “Seeing the faces behind the numbers made the experience feel truly meaningful.” Another Georgia Main volunteer recalls: “It was rewarding seeing the reaction of some families when handing out their food bundles. A child was very excited to see that they acquired some steaks.” Another volunteer remarked on how happy they were to see Georgia Main’s food donation program help to feed so many households in the community.
“Seeing the faces behind the numbers made the experience feel truly meaningful”
Tom Truchan, Georgia Main Food Group
A shared commitment to wasting less and feeding more
This act of service has not only deepened their connection with their food recovery program, but also demonstrated Georgia Main’s commitment to reducing food waste and fighting hunger. Since partnering with FoodMesh in 2020, their stores have collectively diverted close to 2.4 million KG of unsold food to charitable organizations, the equivalent of more than 4 million meals. In doing so, they have also prevented over 6 million KG of CO2e emissions from entering the atmosphere – a truly impressive feat.
Georgia Main’s volunteer day with ILCS serves as a powerful reminder of the real-world impact businesses can have when they go beyond donations and take active roles in community service. By stepping into the frontlines of food recovery, Georgia Main’s staff saw firsthand how their efforts to reduce food waste are helping to alleviate food insecurity. For Georgia Main, it’s not just about diverting surplus food—it’s about ensuring it reaches those who need it most, one meal at a time.
If you’re inspired to get involved and volunteer at one of ILCS’s distribution centres, reach out to info@immigrantlink.ca and take action in your community.
