How to Donate Food to a Food Bank in British Columbia
A practical guide to donating food to a food bank in British Columbia, with the local food banks you can support today.
Food insecurity is a real and growing pressure for households in British Columbia. Donating food to a local food bank is one of the most direct ways to help. This guide explains the need in British Columbia, what food banks need most, and how to give so your donation goes furthest.
Food insecurity in British Columbia
Food banks in British Columbia recorded 223,340 visits (2025-03). About 113,606 people in British Columbia experienced food insecurity (2025-03). The food insecurity rate in British Columbia was 24.4% (2024). Food banks across Canada recorded 2,165,766 visits (2025-03). The food insecurity rate across Canada was 22.9% (2023).
Food banks in British Columbia
These food banks serve British Columbia and the surrounding area. You can donate to any of them through Heart2Cart:
- Abbotsford Food Bank in Abbotsford, British Columbia
- Agassiz-Harrison Community Services Food Bank in Agassiz, British Columbia
- Boundary Community Food Bank Society in Grand Forks, British Columbia
- Bulkley Valley Food Bank in Smithers, British Columbia
- Campbell River & District Food Bank in Campbell River, British Columbia
- Central Okanagan Food Bank in Kelowna, British Columbia
- Chilliwack Community Food Bank (Salvation Army) in Chilliwack, British Columbia
- Columbia Valley Food Bank in Invermere, British Columbia
- Community Connections Food Bank in Revelstoke, British Columbia
- Community Harvest Food Bank in Castlegar, British Columbia
- Comox Valley Food Bank in Courtenay, British Columbia
- Cowichan Valley Basket Society in Duncan, British Columbia
What food banks need most
Food banks welcome shelf stable staples like canned vegetables, beans, pasta, rice, cereal, peanut butter, and canned fish such as tuna and salmon. Many also need fresh produce, dairy, and protein when they can store it. The single most useful thing you can give is often a financial gift, because food banks buy in bulk at rates a household cannot match, so a dollar stretches into more meals than the same dollar spent at the store.
How to donate food in British Columbia
1. Pick a food bank in British Columbia from the list above.
2. Choose what to give. Heart2Cart lets you fill a cart with real food items and see your impact in meals, not just dollars.
3. Give securely. Heart2Cart passes your gift to the food bank you chose so they can buy exactly what their community needs.
Every gift, large or small, helps a neighbour in British Columbia put food on the table.
Sources
- fbc_hungercount_2025 (2025-03)
- food_banks_bc_2025 (2025-03)
- ca-city-burnaby (March 2024)
- ca-deep-fbbc-tables (2025)
- fbc_hungercount_2025 (2025-03)
- proof_hfi_canada_2023 (2023)
- ca-deep-second-harvest (2026)
- ca-deep-second-harvest (2023)
- ca-deep-second-harvest (2024)
- ca-deep-second-harvest (2020)
Frequently asked questions
Where can I donate food in British Columbia?
You can donate to any food bank serving British Columbia through Heart2Cart. Pick one from the list on this page and give in a few minutes.
What do food banks in British Columbia need most?
Shelf stable staples and canned fish are always useful, but a financial gift usually helps most because food banks buy in bulk and turn each dollar into more meals.
Is my donation tax deductible?
Food banks that work directly with Heart2Cart can send an official donation receipt. For others, your gift is a contribution that buys food, directed entirely to that food bank.
Food banks in British Columbia
- Abbotsford Food Bank
- Agassiz-Harrison Community Services Food Bank
- Boundary Community Food Bank Society
- Bulkley Valley Food Bank
- Campbell River & District Food Bank
- Central Okanagan Food Bank