The Friendship House Association Receives Investment

Friday, July 26, 2019

The Prince Rupert Port Authority has given the Friendship House Association of Prince Rupert a welcome boost through an investment of $94,000 needed to complete a strategic renovation and enhancement of its community kitchen and food bank facilities.

The Friendship House’s community kitchen is approximately 60 years old and has had little restoration since opening. It is not only home to a food bank and soup kitchen, but offers healthy nutrition cooking classes, hosts a youth catering business, and provides a cooking facility for multicultural and community events. The Friendship House is also a cultural hub, providing a safe and culturally sensitive environment to enhance the health and well being of the community.

“The Prince Rupert Port Authority is pleased to contribute to improving the food bank space and community kitchen facilities at the Friendship House Association of Prince Rupert,” said Shaun Stevenson, President and CEO of the Prince Rupert Port Authority. “Our organization is proud to partner in local legacy projects that improve the quality of life for residents and this project’s focus on food security is extremely fitting for our Community Investment Fund. At its core, Friendship House programs endeavour to bridge the gaps in socio-economic status and cultural understanding within our community—a goal that we share and are proud to help the Friendship House achieve.”

Prior to this renovation, the Friendship House was already involved in a wide variety of programs that help provide food and services for community residents. Hundreds of people attend annual community dinners, utilize the food hamper program, and visit the soup kitchen every year. This renovation has brought the kitchen facility up to commercial standards and will allow the Friendship House to provide professional culinary classes, recreational courses, and additional social services.

“The Friendship House Association of Prince Rupert has been a pillar of social programming and services to the Prince Rupert area since its operations began and our facilities were no longer able to keep up with our needs,” said Anna Zanella, Executive Director for the Friendship House Association of Prince Rupert. “We are excited to be able to meet the growing needs of our organization as we work to inspire children, youth, and family participation, sharing and instilling life skills, healthy living practices, and cultural preservation of traditional practices.”

The contribution of $94,172 towards the kitchen renovation is the Prince Rupert Port Authority’s 69th Community Investment Fund project since its inception in 2009.