“The people of the Sunshine Coast are so giving,” says Tania Allen, Family Service Coordinator at the Salvation Army’s Gibsons’ chapter. 

If anyone knows about the generosity of the community, it’s life-long Sunshine Coast resident Tania, who oversees the charity’s food service program. She’s been collecting food donations from her two local IGA stores through FoodMesh for the last three years and uses the donations she receives to serve hundreds of community members facing food insecurity every week. 

“These donations have been incredible. We honestly can’t thank these stores enough – we’d be totally lost without them,” Tania explains.

Daily food line and lifeline to many

The first – the food line – is open every day and allows individuals and families to ‘shop’ for fresh produce, bread, and dairy items. With a commitment to inclusivity, there are no restrictions or questions asked, creating a welcoming environment for around 45 people every day who need food donations. “The number of people we see shopping the food line has doubled since the onset of COVID-19,” explains Tania, and that demand has continued to grow, even after the pandemic ended.

“One of our clients – an older gentleman – has dietary restrictions that mean he is only able to eat vegetables. If he wasn’t able to get fresh vegetables through our donated food program, he wouldn’t be able to eat, since he doesn’t have the financial means to buy them. He comes to us every day to pick up the food he needs for his meals to survive. And he is so thankful to us all for making this possible. It’s incredible to hear stories like this – it means a lot to know we are truly able to make a difference in peoples’ lives,” Tania explains.

Serving warm meals and the opportunity to build community

In addition to providing clients with basic grocery items, twice a week, the food bank opens its doors to serve warm, nutritious meals to between 50-60 people, including those utilizing the cold weather shelter. “On today’s menu are sweet and sour meatballs with rice, salad and corn,” Tania says. The meals not only provide nourishment but also the opportunity for people to build connections with one another – a much-needed lifeline for many who are living on the streets.

Using hot meals to support student learning

Donations left over from the food line and lunch program are shared with the Christian Life Assembly, a local church, who turns them into delicious hot meals for students of the Elphinstone alternative school’s lunch program. As many of these students come from low-income families, these meals help to ensure they can learn on full stomachs.

Christmas hampers with basic necessities

This time of year is also when the Salvation Army prepares holiday hampers – around 120 in total – packed with essential items like beans, pasta, mac and cheese, fruit, rice, peas, as well as fresh milk and eggs. This effort ensures that the festive season brings not only joy but also the basic necessities to those in need.

While the Salvation Army’s relationship with these IGA stores precedes their adoption of the FoodMesh food recovery program, Tania has noticed a huge difference since the collaboration started. “Both the quality and quantity of food we receive have increased by a lot since FoodMesh started coordinating these exchanges,” explains Tania. “Which means we’re able to serve more people. It’s truly been amazing.”

“I am so thankful to IGA for its generosity. And in particular, I want to acknowledge Larry at the Gibsons store. He rocks! He knows exactly what we need. He’s so giving – not just in terms of the donations, but of his time too. He’s more than just doing a job. He genuinely cares about us, and the work that we’re doing.”

Written by Megan Czerpak, Head of Communications