QUEST NAMED A TOP 5 VANCOUVER IMPACT CHARITY
Non-Profit Grocery Market Model Gives Donors More Bang For Their Buck
[xʷməθkʷəy ̓ əm, Sḵwx̱ wú7mesh, and səlilwətaɬ Unceded Territories / Vancouver, B.C. – November 6, 2025]
Today, Quest Non-Profit Grocery Markets was named a Top 5 Vancouver Impact Charity by Charity Intelligence Canada in its 2025 Top Impact Charities report, designed to help Canadian donors find charities making the greatest impact and direct their donations this giving season.
“Quest is delighted to receive this recognition of the measurable difference we’re making to those facing food insecurity”, says Quest Interim Executive Director Sam Hamilton. “In the last 12 months alone, we supported 10,000+ clients with more than 175,000 visits to our non-profit grocery markets. By working with 100+ food partners that donate surplus groceries, we prevented over $4 million worth of good food from going to waste.”
Charity Intelligence Canada’s ratings are based on an assessment of five criteria: 1) donor reporting, 2) financial transparency, 3) funding need, 4) cents to the cause, 5) demonstrated impact: for every dollar you donate, what’s the measurable return to clients and society? By giving to the most impactful charities, donors will know that their donations are changing lives.
According to Hamilton, “With the cost of groceries continuing to rise, families, students, seniors, new arrivals to Canada and individuals facing economic barriers have fewer options of where to buy the groceries they need at prices they can afford. Thousands of them will rely on Quest this holiday as they strive for the comfort, tradition, and community that food gives at this time of year. Donations to our seasonal giving appeal will ensure we can meet these needs.”
Unlike food banks, Quest empowers clients to choose the food they need, when they need it, without the stigma of a handout. They can select items from the shelves in Quest’s non-profit markets just as they would in any grocery store, without the burden of financial stress. With four Metro Vancouver markets open six days a week, clients can shop when and as often as they need.
About Quest: Quest exists to disrupt cycles of food insecurity through access to healthy and affordable food. By bridging the gap between food banks and traditional grocery stores, Quest provides a grocery experience for those in need based on principles of dignity, access, and sustainability. Almost all of Quest’s food is donated by food partners from across British Columbia and redistributed to our four grocery markets in Metro Vancouver: Burnaby, North Vancouver, East Vancouver, and the Downtown Eastside. For more information on how to support this vital work, visit Questoutreach.org
For information about Quest or to arrange an interview, contact Toni Vernelli at Tvernelli@questoutreach.org
