How Can I Access Affordable Meals on the Sunshine Coast?
Hayley Toth | Sunshine Coast Resource Centre
With rising living costs, many Sunshine Coast residents are finding it harder to access healthy, affordable food due to financial pressures, health issues, or lack of transportation. Food insecurity is closely linked to increased rates of depression, anxiety, and poor mental health outcomes, highlighting the importance of access to nutritious food.
In Gibsons, St. Bart’s Food Bank (659 North Road) offers a free community hot lunch for all ages on the 2nd Wednesday of each month from 11:00AM to 1:00PM. A free hot lunch for seniors is held on the 4th and 5th Wednesdays of each month also from 11:00AM to 1:00PM. Free rides are available to these lunches for seniors in Gibsons; call 604-886-7411 ext. 103 at least two days in advance. On the 3rd Wednesday of each month, St. Bart’s also hosts a no-barrier food pantry from 10:00AM to 3:00PM — no ID or address is needed. The Salvation Army (#5–682 Gibsons Way) provides hot lunches on Tuesdays and Fridays at 11:30 AM, along with monthly food hampers for registered clients (call 604-886-3665 to register). Their Food Bank is open Monday to Friday, 10:30AM to 1:00PM. The Gibsons Seniors Centre offers $9 lunches on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for members (membership is $35/year). At Grounded Acres Farm (1668 Hwy 101), you can get free cull produce each time you volunteer — sign up for any number of shifts on their website.
In Roberts Creek, a free food pantry is available at the community library in partnership with the Salvation Army. One Straw offers subsidized food boxes, but there is a waitlist due to high demand. You can support their “Grow a Row” campaign by donating extra produce from your home garden or planting extra to help feed others across the Coast.
In Sechelt, the Sunshine Coast Community Services runs a Food Bank every Wednesday from 10:00AM to 5:30PM – ID and proof of residence are required, with exceptions for those experiencing homelessness. The Sechelt Seniors Centre offers daily lunches from 11:30AM to 1pm (prices vary). They also have frozen meals for $6–8, available weekdays from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Membership required and is $40 per year.
Meals on Wheels is available for seniors who have difficulty cooking. For $7.70, you receive a full meal — soup, main dish, salad, and dessert — with free delivery. In Sechelt, meals are delivered Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays (3:30–6:00PM), and in Gibsons/Roberts Creek Tuesdays through Fridays (10:00AM–1:00PM). To register, call 604-885-8517 or email scvolunteer@vch.ca.
In Pender Harbour, the Outreach Healthy Meal Project delivers fresh, locally made meals for $10 each every Monday (or Tuesday after a holiday). Call 604-883-2819 or 604-883-0033 to order a week in advance. The Pender Harbour Food Bank (12891 Lagoon Road) runs every second Monday from 10:30AM to 12:00PM (register at 604-883-9773). They also have Blessing Boxes in Madeira Park, Egmont, and Garden Bay to offer food between food bank days.
For more details on these and other supports, check out our Resource Directory at resourcecentre.ca, or contact us at 604 885 4088 or help@resourcecentre.ca. These programs depend on community support through donations and volunteers. If you’d like to get involved, reach out to us—we’d be happy to connect you with a group in your area!