Mayors’ Food Bank Challenge: A Message from Mayor Coté

Hello, New Westminster! I have partnered with the Greater Vancouver Food Bank to help serve people in need and bring a greater awareness of food insecurity right here in our own neighbourhoods. 

Throughout the month of May, I am working with my fellow mayors to feed our neighbours. The Mayor’s Food Bank Challenge is a fundraising initiative to support the growing number of community members in need. This friendly competition between the Cities of New Westminster, Burnaby, Chilliwack, North Vancouver, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Vancouver, and White Rock to see who can raise the most dollars, per capita, this month.

In 2018, 11,800 residents (over 14 percent) were living below the poverty line. More than 15 percent of our city’s children and 21 percent of our seniors were living in poverty. Since COVID-19 began, as you can imagine, these numbers have grown. In BC, 26 percent of businesses laid off at least half of their employees due to COVID-19 and many are still recovering from this job loss. Add to this the skyrocketing cost of living here in BC, with housing, gas, and groceries becoming more expensive by the day. These statistics are staggering, however, they are a reality that you and I can do something about it.

You can contribute and help New Westminster win this challenge by amplifying our social media messages from @VanFoodBank and @jonathancote with #MayorsChallenge and by donating online at https://mayorschallenge.foodbank.bc.ca/ (tax receipts are automatically issued via email). Thanks for your support!