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Victoria Mustard Seed celebrates 5 years of food redistribution program

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The Victoria Mustard Seed is marking a milestone in its "food rescue program," which collects unsold food from grocery stores and redistributes it to local non-profits.

The program just marked its fifth year in operation, with the Mustard Seed donating up to 1,200 pounds of food to various organizations every day.

"It’s that tomato with a small blemish on it or an apple with a bruise that maybe the consumer won’t pay for because the cost is going way up," said Treska Watson, Mustard Seed operations director.

With inflation and food costs rising, Watson says many families are "living on the very edge of their abilities and income."

"We're also able to meet the growing need of our community, of the [Greater Victoria area] by getting this food directly into the homes of the people that need it," said Alexis Steward, Mustard Seed warehouse associate.

The Sanctuary Youth Centre in Victoria is one of the groups that receives the program's food donations.

Darin Reimer, executive director at Sanctuary, says he has lived in other Canadian cities but he's impressed by the level of collaboration shown here in Victoria.

"I am thankful for the city I live in and what we’re doing," he said.

At the Mustard Seed, staff say they hope one day they'll no longer be needed.

"Food banks were brought in in the '80s, I believe to be a temporary solution. Of course that's not the case now," said Watson.

"I believe in the distribution of this rescued food, but overall that’s not the solution to the problem," she said. "There’s no shortage of food. It’s how we get it out to everyone that needs it."

While the Mustard Seed hopes that one day a solution will come, in the meantime it promises to continue support anyone who needs help with putting food on the table.

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