Food Security
Food Security
Food security means that all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.
Food Insecurity is the lack of consistent access to healthy, affordable food due to factors such as:
the rising cost of living
housing crisis
low wages
inflation
It is a significant issue, with the demand for Greater Victoria's food banks increasing by over 25% recently, as shown in the BC Food Bank’s Hunger Report. Contributing factors also include economic challenges, food system limitations, and the disproportionate impact on marginalized groups.
“Hunger is a public health emergency in Canada. In British Columbia, the rates of food insecurity have almost doubled since 2019. ”
Who is hungry and seeking help from food banks?
Almost half are single people
One in five are two-parent families with children
The Poverty Report Cards report shows that almost half of Canadians feel financially worse
off compared to the previous year, and 1 in 4 are experiencing food insecurity.According to a 2024 report from United Way B.C., over 1.1 million British Columbians live in
food-insecure households.
To help alleviate food insecurity in the Greater Victoria region, Soroptimist Victoria Westshore
have taken significant action to help women and their families.
Here’s a snapshot of our work.
Food Rescue
Our dedicated Soroptimist members make weekly pickups of rescued food from the Food Share Network (FSN) in Victoria, B.C.
The Mustard Seed Church operate the Food Security Distribution Centre and the Food Share Network. They rescue and receive over 1.1 million lbs/year of edible surplus food rescued from 32 grocery and farm partners. and then share it regionally.
Items suitable for distribution are shared with the Mustard Seed Food Bank and 62 partner agencies as noted in their 2025 Impact Report. Soroptimist is one of many partnering organizations.
The Soroptimist team carefully sort the food and decide which of the following Soroptimist avenues to best use the food, to serve women and their families in our community.
1.
Soroptimist Food Boxes for Families & Seniors
Community food boxes are assembled for more than 30-35 families and seniors each month. Individuals who do not have the means to attend Food Banks during regular hours. For instance: a working-poor family; a working-single-parent family; a single-parent-headed-family with several small children and no vehicle, making accessibility to the Food Bank on public transit while handling the children and a large food box next to impossible; or seniors with mobility issues.
Food Boxes contain rescued fresh and frozen food, and we purchase additional proteins, toiletries and school snacks.
2.
Cooking & Preparing Meals
Our talented and certified Food Safe Soroptimist members prepare more than 70 meals per month for seniors facing food insecurity, using the rescued food and purchasing additional food items to create balanced, healthy meals. The meals are frozen, ready for distribution. Quite frequently, we exceed the allotted amount of meals prepared, up to 150 meals per month, depending on what food is provided during the weekly Food Share Network pickups.
In partnership with Better @ Homes Langford and Pacific Centre for Family Services, the seniors in need are identified and frozen meals are distributed.
3.
Stella’s Lunches
Stella’s Lunches (previously Stella’s Suppers) are held 3-4 times per year.
The events provide a healthy, nutritious meal, musical entertainment, and an opportunity to connect and visit for many isolated seniors. We also provide transportation to and from the event to seniors as needed.
Our talented and certified Food Safe Soroptimist members cook and prepare food that is provided during the weekly Food Share Network pickups.
4.
SIster’s Preserves
The outstanding team behind SIster’s Preserves work year-round to pickle and preserve rescued fruit and vegetables through our relationship with The Mustard Seed’s Food Share Network.
Starting in the Spring, the team attends local markets to sell the preserved goods by donation.
This fundraising vehicle, through SIster's Preserves, allows Soroptimist to purchase diapers, feminine hygiene products, toilet paper, shampoo & conditioner, canned goods, school snacks, proteins, and turkeys with all the fixings to create holiday dinners for our food box recipients.
Our Impact
In 2024, Soroptimist Victoria Westshore rescued
15,340 lbs
of fresh food and turned it into food boxes. fresh meals, preserves, to a value of more than