Code of Ethics
The Richmond Food Bank strongly believes that every individual should have access to healthy, affordable, and nutritious food. According to the Richmond Food Charter, “Food security exists when all members of our community, at all times, have access to nutritious, safe, personally acceptable and culturally appropriate foods, produced in ways that are environmentally sound and socially just.”
To this end, the Richmond Food Bank Society will abide by Food Bank Canada’s Ethical Food Banking code, and is committed to:
- Providing food and other assistance to those needing help regardless of race, national or ethnic origin, citizenship, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, income source, age, and mental or physical ability.
- Treating all those who access our services with the utmost dignity and respect.
- Implementing best practices in proper and safe storage and handling food.
- Respecting the privacy of those served and maintaining the confidentiality of personal information.
- Not selling donated food.
- Acquiring and sharing food in spirit of cooperation with other food banks and food programs.
- Striving to make the public aware of the existence of hunger and of the factors that contribute to it.
- Recognizing that food banks are not a viable long-term response to hunger and devoting part of RFBS’ activities to reducing the need for food assistance.
- Representing accurately, honestly, and completely RFBS mission and activities to the larger community.