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Charity Scrambles to Feed Thousands as Food Insecurity Soars in Vancouver
8 Aug
Summary
- Charity sees 8,000 food hamper requests in 2025, up from 1,200 in 2020
- Families of all sizes struggle with rising cost of living and healthy food
- Grandparents caring for grandchildren rely on charity's food hampers
In 2025, a Vancouver charity is grappling with a staggering increase in demand for its emergency food hamper program. The Union Gospel Mission (UGM) launched the initiative early in the COVID-19 pandemic, but the need has grown exponentially since then.
According to UGM spokesperson Nick Wells, the charity distributed 1,200 food hampers in 2020. However, as of June 2025, they have already handed out 4,200 hampers and are on pace to exceed 8,000 by the end of the year - a startling 567% increase.
Wells attributes this surge to the rising cost of living and the growing challenge of affording healthy food, not just in Vancouver but across the province. The charity is seeing families of all sizes and types seeking assistance, from single parents to multi-child households to grandparents like Hazel Arnold, who is raising her two granddaughters.
Arnold, who was previously homeless, says the food hampers have been a lifeline, providing a variety of essential items like pasta, beans, canned fruit, and protein-rich foods. She tries to make the hampers last for up to two weeks, relying on them to feed her family.
Even with the program limiting clients to one hamper every three months, the UGM is spending around $10,000 per month on food to meet the overwhelming demand. Wells acknowledges that while it's great they can help, the situation speaks to the significant financial strain many are facing in their daily lives.
