Doing A Lot With A Little – Dakelh & Quesnel Community Housing Society – AHMA

Press Release

It’s common to find ourselves ‘working off the side of their desks.’ Occupying whatever free time we have with a million other things. At Dakelh & Quesnel Community Housing Society (DQCHS) there is so much work being done off the desk that it is in fact taking over their office, quite literally.

For the past 3 years DQCHS has been running a foodbank from inside of their office. Walking into their office you are greeted by shelves of food, stacked neatly across most surfaces available. They use whatever space available, to offer more food to more people. Everything is priced and sold at cost. If items are donated, then they are free items in the bank. It’s a simple concept with a big impact. When asked what the biggest challenges to running the bank were? Executive Director Luanne Ruotsalainen answered nonchalantly “There wasn’t huge challenges. We wanted to do so badly, it was a relief to be able to put food in the fridges of tenants.” Tenants within their society have a great relationship with the staff at DQCHS, all 3 of them. That’s another astounding aspect, they prove you can do so much with very little with only 3 staff members and limited resources. Yet nothing seems to slow them down.

DQCHS have made valuable connections and collaborations within their community which has helped in their success. The local Save-On-Foods donates items that will expire within the next month, as well as providing free deliveries on large bulk orders. “Not all of our families have $100 to spend buying items on sale at bulk prices” said Ruotsalainen.

On top of the food bank they sell fresh quality meats at below discount prices. Working with Penguin Meats in Vancouver, they purchase great cuts of meat from pork chops to bacon and burgers. Selling them at lower prices, makes them accessible to their community. It’s not about just providing food but ensuring quality and care. If that wasn’t enough they also sell products made from Indigenous communities, a majority hand crafted and locally sourced. From this they were able to raise $2000 on National Indigenous Peoples Day 2018. Which of course went straight back into buying more stock for the food bank.

The trio’s work is seemingly endless, and their generosity goes far beyond their property lines. The foodbank does not even require you to be living in one of their buildings. They have made it available to those in need within the community. In regard to those in need Luanne put it quite simply, “we’re not going to tell them no.”

They’re an incredibly determined and dynamic housing authority. They recently completed a redevelopment of 64 units with a brand-new build on the way, there’s a lot on their plate. Yet, amid all of this they work ferociously to ensure their community members can fill their own plates with quality food.

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