‘Pay-what-you-feel’ grocery store opens in Vancouver, aims to combat food insecurity
VANCOUVER — More than 35.5 million tonnes of food is thrown out each year in Canada, but one group in Vancouver is hoping to divert some of that to help people who are food insecure.
The Food Stash Foundation opened the doors to the Rescued Food Market for the first time Friday, allowing patrons to shop and pay what they want in a donation that will help keep the market running,
Food Stash executive director Carla Pellegrini said the pay-what-you-feel model eliminates any stigma associated with not being able to afford the rising costs of food.
“We rescue over 70,000 pounds of food every month,” she said. “We have a huge food waste problem, so it’s not a supply issue we’re dealing with, it’s a distribution issue and we’re trying to bridge that gap.”