All posts by ryanli

Richmond Food Bank’s Vision and Goals to Improve Food Distribution

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Background of Richmond Food Bank

Richmond Food bank’s history dates back to 1982, located at Richmond Presbyterian Church where it began by storing food for future use. In 1983 Richmond Food Bank was formed when the community’s hunger issues were increasing, and needed to be addressed. In 1992 Richmond Food Bank was located at  #135 – 12417 No. 2 Road in the Steveston Industrial Park, by April 2002 they moved to #7 – 12491 No. 2 Road, and in August 2007 Richmond Food Bank relocated to 100 – 5800 Cedarbridge Way. As time progressed, Richmond Food Bank moved locations to meet the needs of the community, and with each iteration, a larger facility was required to keep up with the hunger demand. The current location is also near public transportation, which improves the accessibility of the food bank.

Richmond Food Bank’s purpose

Richmond Food Bank is here to help residents in need of assistance. Everyone has a different reason why they might require access to Richmond Food Bank, ranging from cut-backs from work to prolonged illness. Regardless of the reason, Richmond Food Bank stands firm that a healthy meal should not be a luxury, but a necessity. As well as distributing food, Richmond Food Bank has a Children’s play area where they allow children to interact with one another. This replicates many of the social aspects that children are exposed to in preschool without a fee to the parents, while they’re in line to pick up food.

Vision Statement

Richmond Food Bank’s Mission:

“To be a caring organization that provides food assistance, advocacy, and related support for community members in need”

Alongside their mission statement, their vision includes:

“A caring community where no one goes hungry”

Project Scope and Goals

Richmond Food Bank would like to improve the efficiency and rate at which food is distributed. Currently, the system in place requires cans to be distributed after softer organic produce, resulting in crushed fruits and vegetables. Our leading objective is to help eliminate this current problem, along with the reduction of “bottle-necking” in line. In many cases, the food distribution lines tend to densify in one particular area causing disorder and eliminating the practicality of the distribution system.  Another primary goal involves remodelling and beautification of the children’s play area. This project scope involves the specific redesign of storage, lighting, and overall aesthetics. Richmond Food Bank hopes that by achieving this goal, the younger individuals can learn and develop in a brighter, happier environment.

Constraints

Non-negotiable constraints include the dimensions allocated for the children’s play area and food distribution. Our CBEL group has been allocated 17’ by 11’of space to be utilized for the play space and 110’ by 110’ for the distribution area. All light fixtures and additional electrical usages are limited to one outlet currently hung on the roof. Additionally, the remodelled design of the play space must hide the exposed ventilation without blocking access to the area. When it comes to negotiable constraints, Richmond Food Bank is flexible with the budget of materials needed to beautify the play area. This may include the purchasing of better lighting, paint, drywall, or other cosmetic details. The distribution tables may be moved if necessary, along with the shelving behind the tables.

Possible Solutions

When food is distributed, every individual receives fresh fruit and vegetables which are placed into their plastic bag first. The following heavier items such as canned goods tend to crush and damage the produce below it. To avoid this problem, our team plans to create a new system that rearranges the order in which goods are distributed.

 

 

 

CBEL: Richmond Food Bank Society

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All the members in the Richmond Food Bank group. Names from left to right: Qing, Madison, Robert, Ryan, Andy, and Monrit.

We have been assigned to create a welcoming space for the Richmond Food Bank. The welcoming area has an open ended theme at this point and we have yet to decide if we will be creating this welcoming area. Two of the options will either be: an indoor seating area, or a small outdoor structure. The indoor possibility would include seating in a hallway and the outdoor structure is undetermined with its possibilities. The welcoming area will be used by the clients of the Richmond Food bank and will serve as a necessary structure once implemented. We look forward to the design process and options that may become of our project for the Richmond Food Bank.

“A caring community where no one goes hungry.” – Richmond Food Bank. Richmond Food Bank Society is a non-profit organization that connects people, food, and services that are essential to health and their well-being. They provide healthy and nutritionally-balanced food to over 1500 people a week. They are able to do this solely based on the donations of generous individuals. For every dollar of donation, they collect and distribute $6 worth of food.

Regardless of those struggling with unemployment, chronic illness, or disabilities, we hope that our current project will benefit all members in Richmond who use the facility. Our current proposed design intends on creating a safe and social area where members of the Richmond community can interact. In addition, the outdoor shelter can be utilized most effectively by those who may have to wait outside the food bank during peak hours.

Hi, my name is Madison Klettke and I am from Chilliwack, BC. I am in second year civil engineering at the University of British Columbia. I was lead into Civil Engineering through my interest of structures and my love of math. Though engineering is exciting and interesting in many ways, I still aspire to become a structural engineer. I look forward to the opportunity to build a structure in order to aid the Richmond Food Bank.

Hi, this is Monrit Chatha, I am currently studying in the Civil Engineering program at the University of British Columbia. I am intrigued in pursuing a career in Structural Engineering and promoting sustainability in Civil Engineering projects. I aspire to use my understanding of the environmental and social impacts of engineering projects to make a positive impact in our community. The CBEL project is an excellent opportunity to use my technical and interpersonal skills to gain insight and experience in working with the public and community client.

Hello all, I’m Ryan Li and I am a second year Civil Engineering student at UBC and I’m from Burnaby, BC. Prior to coming back to school, I was a mechanic at a Subaru dealership, where I completed my mechanics license. I was drawn towards Civil Engineering because its wide array of sub disciplines. My particular interests lie in geotechnical and water resources. The CBEL project presents an opportunity to develop my communication skills and I’m excited to help Richmond Food Bank achieve their goals.

Hi everyone, my name is Robert Ngai and I am from Richmond, BC. As you may already know, l am currently attending UBC as a second year Civil Engineering student. Growing up in the city of Richmond, I immediately had a connection to this project. The feeling of giving back to the community I have grown up in all my life is irreplaceable. I look forward to applying my civil related skills in a creative and sustainable manner to help the Richmond Food Bank fulfill their endeavors. I also have a soft spot for pizza and enjoy long walks on the beach.

Hello everyone, my name is Andy Wu and I came to Canada a few years ago from China. I am a second year student in Civil Engineering at the University of British Columbia. Growing up, I grew fond of buildings and bridges, which ultimately lead me into Civil Engineering. I am interested in pursuing a career in structural, and I am looking forward to working with Richmond Food Bank on this wonderful project.

Hello, I’m Qing (Chelsea) Liu, and I’m a second year student in Civil Engineering at the University of British Columbia. Civil engineering is my favourite discipline because I’m interested in dealing with structures in our daily life. I came to Canada two years ago. I’m really happy have been selected into this project and to work with the Richmond Food Bank Society, which I believe to be a great opportunity to apply the knowledge I’ve gained, into practical projects.