Adelyn Chan

Sep 6

VFR: Adelyn, tell us about yourself! What were you up to before you joined VFR?

Adelyn Chan: I grew up in the Lower Mainland and attended the University of Victoria for my bachelor’s degree. Fast forward to moving to Vancouver, then to Amsterdam (just before the pandemic started), and now, here we are!

I have prior experience in the social services field, working with individuals experiencing homelessness, substance misuse, and/or unstable mental health. I’ve worn many hats during my time, ranging from a shelter and outreach worker to working in human resources in the Downtown Eastside, helping people with lived experience maintain their employment.

All of these roles had communication and relationship-building at their core, and I take that mindset into all my interactions. As tough as that kind of front-line work was, I also had the opportunity to work with and learn from some of the most passionate and caring people!

VFR: What drew you to working with Vancouver Food Runners?

AC: I really believe in the program: taking good, healthy food that would otherwise go to waste and providing it to nonprofit organizations tackling food insecurity as well as larger societal issues in their communities.

I’ve also seen firsthand how important food is in fostering connections. As an outreach worker for at-risk youth, I used to fill my backpack with juice boxes and sandwiches and pass them out as we walked around Downtown Vancouver.

These interactions gave us the opportunity to either check in on individuals we had not seen in a while or introduce new youth to our drop-in and shelter program for support. Although I may not be on the front lines anymore, I am happy to continue supporting the opportunity for these connections.

VFR: Tell us about your role with VFR and some of your goals for 2024?

AC: As the Program Manager for Partnerships and Expansion, I manage VFR’s relationships with our food donors and nonprofits, including both current and potential partnerships. I want to ensure that the processes within our program are smooth and that we are doing our best to meet the needs of both parties. Communication is key, and I’m always happy to have conversations about what is going well and what we can do better!

My goals for the rest of 2024 are to get more food businesses involved with donating and to share more data with current donors to show their impact in their communities.

We know that changing operational processes within businesses to include food donations is a voluntary extra step, but I’d like to show the leaders and staff at these businesses that their donations are tangible and beneficial for food insecurity programs — and they help to reduce the environmental impact of food waste!

VFR: What are some of your favourite things to do in the Lower Mainland? And what are you looking forward to this summer?

Some of my favourite things to do in the Lower Mainland include spending time with the people I care about over a meal or coffee (ideally outside with the sun shining)! I am also excited about going on more camping trips and exploring trails with my dog!

VFR: Let's talk about food! Please share some of your favourite places to grab a bite to eat.

I think we are so lucky to be exposed to so many cuisines available to us in the Lower Mainland. Here are just some of the places that come to mind: