Burnaby nurses and the Burnaby-based food bank received some much-needed supplies.
Bags of food and scrub caps were donated by children from the M.T.O. Shahmaghsoudi School of Islamic Sufism, an international non-profit organization. They were celebrating one year of its joint global charity efforts, Eid-al-Fitr and International Nurses Day. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization has donated over 97,000 PPE items, 105,000 tons of food, 17,000 school supplies and toys, and 18,000 care packages worldwide.
Locally, the scrub caps went to nurses, including those at the Finnish Manor in Burnaby. The food went to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank on Winston Street.
The Greater Vancouver Food Bank supports 8,500 people each month through its direct distribution and another 14,000-plus people through its 100 community agency partners in Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster and the North Shore.
The organization is currently distributing 275,000 pounds more food each month than it did at the same time last year, according to communications officer Jodie Ou.
Manager of community events and engagement Terra Paredes said the Ismaili CIVIC food drive will help, and the food bank will be able to stretch its cash donation into about $35,000 of buying power for fresh foods and other items in short supply.
- With additional reporting by Cornelia Naylor
