Youth are one of the fastest growing and most vulnerable subgroups of the homeless population. A study conducted on Toronto’s homeless youth population found that youth facing homelessness were often nutritionally vulnerable — causing significant impacts on both their physical and mental health.
When young people arrive at Covenant House Vancouver, they are provided with healthy, filling, and delicious meals. Whether it’s our Outreach Team travelling on foot to provide granola bars, sandwiches and juice boxes, or our Drop-In providing hot meals throughout the week, food is a great way to show youth we care and is one of the many ways we use to start to build a relationship with a young person.
Some of you may have heard of Covey’s Cupboard already. Through our partnership with the Greater Vancouver Food Bank, we have been able to provide healthy non-perishables — such as granola bars, canned tuna, and fruit cups — to youth in need. Food bags are created in advance for both youth who are housed as well as those who are living on the streets. Young people also get to choose which foods they’d like, so that they are empowered with the freedom of choice. Due to the recent addition of a fridge, we have also been able to offer perishables, like milk, and other frozen foods.
The popularity of Covey’s Cupboard has highlighted for us just how many youth struggle with food insecurity. With the ongoing rise in food costs, and inflation, it is becoming harder and harder for folks to access the nutrition they need.
You can help today by donating some much needed items to Covey’s Cupboard:
- Noodles (both in the package and in cups/ bowls)
- Chef Boyardee canned pasta
- Chili
- Chunky/ Tim Hortons soups
- Granola bars
- Juice boxes
- Kraft dinner
- Pasta
- Pasta sauce
- Crackers
- Snacks
- Cereal
For more information, or to coordinate a drop off, please contact:
Cory Kaban
Coordinator, Gifts-in-Kind
Direct: 604-757-6064
ckaban@covenanthousebc.org
Food donations can be dropped off anytime from 7:30am to 6:00pm at our 1280 Seymour Street location. We ask that no unexpected donations be brought to any of our buildings, so please contact us to coordinate a donation drop off.
Together, we can work to ensure no young person is hungry.