Interfaith Food Bank Society of Lethbridge has been accredited through Food Banks Canada’s Standards of Excellence program.
This accreditation is a testament to the team’s hard work and dedication to providing clients with the highest quality of service.
According to Interfaith, this framework will help the vital organization thrive, as it continues the journey towards a Canada where no one goes hungry. “By becoming accredited, we can advance to an even stronger and more agile food banking system, activate shared learning and amplify the network’s collective impact on Canada’s food insecurity problem.”
Executive Director Danielle McIntyre says Interfaith has been working for the last year-and-a-half to be able to achieve accreditation. “Our network of food banks is trying to make sure everyone in the network is meeting a baseline set of standards that will ensure safety and dignity for our clients.”
McIntyre notes going through the accreditation process allowed the organization to evaluate where it was in terms of its food handling, workplace health and safety and people management. “We were able to dive down deep and make sure all our policies and procedures are not only documented, but we’re following them, so we’re always striving for that level of excellence.”
Food Banks Canada, McIntyre adds, will move to a point where they’re only funding organizations accredited with the network. “Food banks have been given a deadline of March 2026 at this point. We knew this was something we wanted to achieve, so we went ahead and did it as quickly as we possibly could.”
One of the nicest things about accreditation is it legitimizes charitable food distribution, says McIntyre.
“Donors and clients can trust if they’re accessing or giving to an accredited food bank, that’s something that’s going to make sure the food is handled safely, clients are going to be treated with dignity and there’s a level of service expected from anyone that bears that brand,” McIntyre explains.
The process of working towards accreditation, McIntyre notes, has been a huge undertaking, especially during a food security crisis. “We do know other local food banks will also be striving towards this achievement, but we’re very proud to have had the support of Food Banks Canada in getting this all done.”
“Striving for excellence is just part of who we are as an organization. This is another badge of honour we’re very proud to display.”
