It’s difficult to find the right words to describe everything that happened in 2020-21, and the effect it had on Canadian Foodgrains Bank, its members, and people around the world facing hunger. The number of people experiencing hunger in the world continues to grow as COVID-19 has amplified the effects of climate change and growing levels of conflict.
The consequences to both health and economic systems are having a devastating impact across the world. With food supply systems facing major disruption and social safety nets barely functioning, our members and partners faced deep challenges in continuing their operations.
However as people of faith, we know there is always hope. Throughout the previous year, members and partners acted with flexibility and diligence to ensure families had access to the food they so desperately needed and continued to support longer-term sustainable solutions to hunger.
As Paul writes to the Corinthians, We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.
That hope drove us on throughout the year and despite the challenges, generous supporters across the country responded to the challenge of a hurting world. Canadians turned what could have been a very difficult year financially into one that broke our fundraising records – allowing the work of fighting hunger to continue as planned.
As an organization we also experienced a major internal change with our long-time executive director, Jim Cornelius, handing over the steering of Canadian Foodgrains Bank. We are grateful for his presence through the transition, as special advisor to a new executive director.
This annual report will guide you through some of the highlights of our work in 2020-21, including our efforts to engage with Canadians and government decisionmakers in this most unusual of years. We hope it is a source of encouragement over what has been accomplished, and a call to action for the work still to be done.
Written by Kenneth Kim, Board Chair and Andy Harrington, Executive Director
This story was featured in the 2021 Annual Report. Download or order your copy here.
