The Greater Vancouver Food Bank (GVFB) is not your average food bank. After shifting away from the traditional food bank model, the GVFB is working on several initiatives that will feed the future. These initiatives include working with local farmers to redistribute the abundance of surplus food grown in BC, exploring food preservation methods such as freeze-drying, flash freezing and juicing, and working with third-party service providers to connect our clients with access to services that address the root causes of food insecurity.
These initiatives are all working towards the GVFB’s vision of a British Columbia where everyone has access to healthy food through efficient distribution, innovation, and partnerships. Through this work, the impact of healthy food is able to reach farther, and programs are being actively created to allow for better access to resources such as employment, immigration, resettlement, financial literacy and mental health services.
Expanding past what we think of as a traditional food bank, the GVFB is strengthening local communities and looking towards creating these same successes where it is needed most in BC.
This project was brought to life after meeting a production team that connected with the GVFB’s story. There was a strong consensus that what the GVFB’s operations were actually achieving and what the public’s perception of the operations were vastly different. This is where Feeding the Future was born, to find a way to bring the public into the GVFB’s warehouses, trucks and offices to get true insight into where the organization is currently at and the future it’s heading towards.
The plan was to break up the film into four main pillars that served as themes: Fresh Food, Food Preservation, FRESH Start Program and Feeding the Future. These components allowed the film to dive into each initiative that the GVFB is actively working on in everyday operations. To bring this film to life, the GVFB was excited to partner with local Director Ronan Bryson, who CEO David Long had previously worked with. The goal was to pull out the emotion staff at the organization feel with the work being accomplished. This included a plan of intimate shots, hopeful lighting and bright emotion filled music.
The biggest challenge that was overcome was ensuring that creatives were aligned with the GVFB as a brand and expanding on the work that is being done. It’s very easy to want to showcase what the GVFB does best, which is handing out food to clients, as the mission states – providing healthy food to those in need is the primary goal of the organization. The public, however, is quite familiar with this and the true reason for creating this film was to showcase what the public wasn’t aware of and the work that isn’t often associated with the food bank. As the production schedule focused heavily on client access, it took learning on the GVFB’s behalf to stand up and say this isn’t aligning with our vision and provide clear direction on what was expected. This challenge was met with open communication and a desire to make the project something everyone was proud of.
Often when food banks are spoken of, the struggle of the clients is highlighted. GVFB has continuously taken an approach of positivity, focusing on what can be done to solve the problems at hand. Taking a pioneering approach with many decisions, the desire was to bring understanding to these efforts in order to encapsulate the vision of the GVFB, which expands beyond our services to clients.
This film brings people along to see how change is possible. Organizations can break out of ‘traditional’ models to create sustainable solutions in the area they are serving, creating access, dignity and hope.
The results of this project have been what the GVFB was hoping for. When bringing in potential donors, or community influencers to tour their operations, the feedback is often that people have no idea that this is what the GVFB looks like, or functions like. The best takeaway with this film is to create a greater understanding of the work the GVFB is trying to accomplish and invite people to join the efforts.
Comments about the film have included the same shock that this is not what people were thinking when they thought of a food bank, and the need to spread the word even further.
It is with great pride for the GVFB to be able to share the incredible work that the staff, volunteers and donors have poured into to bring to life. The expansion of services has created the ability to change what food security looks like. Having people understand, witness and join along helps to further the impact for those who need it the most.
