Rotary Club planting at the Chilliwack Bowl of Hope's community garden in 2026. The garden grew over 10,000 pounds of food the previous year. (Image Credit: Rotary Club of Chilliwack)
CHILLIWACK — Local organizations are looking to starve food insecurity in the Fraser Valley by filling up the Chilliwack Bowls of Hope Society with some help.
On May 16, more than 50 Rotary Club members and volunteers showed up to the group’s “Epic Day of Service” to plant vegetables and prepare beds at the Chilliwack Bowls of Hope’s community gardens.
“A good and productive morning was had by all,” said Chilliwack Rotary Dr. Ralph Jones. “Feeding the hungry in Chilliwack is one of the important outreaches our club works on all year long.”
The garden provided over 10,000 pounds of home-grown food for kids’ breakfast and lunch programs in 2025.
It’s the kind of tangible determination that has secured Bowls of Hope a $1 million grant from United Way to build a new food hub that would serve the rest of the region.
“This investment of funding comes at a pivotal time in our organization. Now in our 20th year, Chilliwack Bowls of Hope has outgrown the current facility as the needs of the community have continued to grow,” said Chilliwack Bowls of Hope President Chris Csoka.
“We are eager to increase our food processing and storage capacity to support the delivery of school food programs and enhance a variety of food security programs to meet the evolving needs of the community of Chilliwack and the Eastern Fraser Valley.”
The new regional food hub will replace the 2021 facility, which has since had to relocate due to an expiring lease and rising demand.
It is expected to serve over 10,000 individuals each year, up school meal programs by 2,000 meals a day, double food recovery efforts, and more.
The grant is supported by the B.C. government’s $14 million Critical Food Infrastructure Fund announced in 2023.
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