Last week CKNW and Quest Outreach Society became partners in a project known as the "Rescue Food and Feed a Child." According to HungerCount 2001 census information "children continue to be over-represented in food bank lines." In March 2001, figures indicated that 41% of food bank recipients were children.

In 2002, Quest Outreach Society rescued 4.4 million dollars worth of food. As a result of their rescue efforts, Quest is currently providing food assistance to over 30,000 people per month. Shelley Wells, Executive Director, says "there is an overabundance of fruit and vegetables in the summer months, of which a good portion of this food ends up in the landfills because it is blemished, not marketable (i.e., wrong size or shape) and/or cannot be consumed quickly enough."

Thanks to the generous donation of $97,000 from CKNW, Quest Outreach Society is now able to open a food processing plant that will enable them to dehydrate and can rescued fresh fruit and vegetables. The processing plant is the first of its kind in Canada. By supporting project "Rescue Food and Feed a Child", CKNW and Quest Outreach Society will ensure that Lower Mainland children have access to a steady stream of nutritional fruits and vegetables all year round.

If you would like to help to ensure that no lower mainland child goes hungry, please send your surplus fruits and vegetables to Quest Outreach Society at 604-602-0186. Tax receipts will be issued for all food donations.

Who is Quest Outreach Society?

Quest Outreach Society is a non-profit, charitable organization that relies on the community's support to continue its services. Currently, Quest is providing food assistance to over 30,000 people per month, through providing:

* hot sit down meal to the hungry and homeless in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside;

* food to support the services of 70 social service agencies, ranging from women shelters, neighbourhood houses, half-way houses, mental heath consumers, food-banks, daycares and school programs, to name a few;

* emergency food hampers to individuals and agencies referred by social service agencies.