Approved Specified Nonprofit Corporation Food Bank Shibuya provides food support to residents in need near Shibuya Ward. This time, we spoke with the Chief Secretary, Ms. Kubota.

Chief Secretary Kubota

Can you tell us what prompted you to start Food Bank Shibuya?

Since 2008, I have been an officer of the Protestant Christian church 'Kingdom Seekers,' and in 2010, I first learned about the existence of food banks through the NPO 'B.F.P.JAPAN.' I was impressed by their impactful activities that support people's lives and I started supporting Israel's food banks through donations. Later, I learned that there are food banks in Japan as well, and I decided to start such activities at our church in 2016. The Book of Deuteronomy from the Bible states, “God protects orphans and single mothers, loves foreigners, and provides them with food and clothing,” and “there are always poor people in the world, so extend your hand to them and act justly.” We are putting these into practice. In the same year, the Shibuya Ward Cleanliness and Recycling Section also started a food drive as a measure against food loss. At that time, we were advised by a civil servant to establish an NPO, leading to the creation of 'NPO Food Bank Shibuya,' and I took on the role of Chief Secretary. Then, the Livelihood Support Consultation Desk issued food support guides to people in need, and Food Bank Shibuya began distributing the food collected by the Cleanliness and Recycling Section.

What has been the most challenging part of continuing to engage in these activities?

The challenge of food bank activities is how to expand them while maintaining a balance between the demand for food (number of users) and the supply (amount of food provided). Until 2020, we only had one metal rack for food storage, so for a while we distributed as the food donations came in, where possible. For a time, we used the conference room of a temporary building of the Shibuya Ward Office and the cleaning office of the Shibuya Ward Recycling Promotion Section, but since this led to scattered storage locations, it was difficult to manage food expiration dates. Additionally, food storage space continues to be an issue due to the increasing number of users caused by rising prices, but thanks to FIT's donations, we were able to increase storage space.

What do you feel were the benefits of starting the organization?

Starting the organization made it easier to create a community and expanded the potential for creating social change. It has been seven years since we started food bank activities, and the number of people contacting us to offer support is increasing. At the same time, it has blessed us with the opportunity to meet various individuals, some of whom were surprised at people doing these activities. We value these encounters and work together with other organizations on collaborative projects, such as learning support and creating comforting places for the community. By expanding partnerships and combining the strengths of each organization, we believe we can change the social structure. While there are limits to what individuals can do, organizations can achieve more, and what one organization cannot do alone can be accomplished through collaboration with other organizations.
In recent years, the term 'food loss' has become more common, and it is becoming standard for companies to avoid discarding still-edible food. This has led to an increase in inquiries about donating disaster stockpiles, which I feel is a tailwind for our activities.

Learning support and children's tables 'a place where you can learn, a place where you can be'

How are the donations from FIT being used?

Primarily, 1) payment of rent and purchase of equipment for food storage locations, 2) payment of rent and purchase of equipment for learning support centers, 3) costs for website renewal, and 4) utilization of fundraising and advertising expenses to secure stable activity funds.
We also formulated the organization's 'Vision, Mission, and Value' with advice from experts. We are focusing on public relations to gain more understanding for our activities from more companies and individuals.
・Vision: 'Connecting with you, Connecting in Shibuya'
　　We build relationships with people, create social change
　　through the power of the community, and make Shibuya
　　a more livable city.
・Mission: 'Create dialogs through meals, Create value through dialogs.'
　　We create dialogs using food as the starting point.
　　We uncover value in the individual stories we learn through these dialogs.
・Value: ‘Side by side, ready to listen, with open arms'
　　We will listen to your story, believe in your courage to move forward, and 　　keep our arms open for you.

How do you envision expanding your activities in the future?

As stated in our vision, we want to create social change through the power of the community and make Shibuya a more livable city.
This year, in addition to working on ultra-short-term employment for people with disabilities in collaboration with disability employment support organizations, we want to increase collaborative projects with related local organizations and groups, such as implementing household support via home-visits.

Scenes from the opening of the regional collaboration base 'Sasazuka Jugo no Ie'

How can we support you?

To secure stable and continuous funds for our activities, it would be helpful to have a fundraising system created for us. For example, even if it's not a large amount like this time, it would be nice to have a system where related companies and employees of FIT can continuously support the activities of organizations they are interested in through crowdfunding.

Lastly, do you have a message for the readers of this article?

Through food bank activities, I have met people struggling for various reasons and have come to think about the inequalities of society. Facing one person's struggles is bound to help in solving everyone's struggles. I believe that if there is no path for each person to find an easier way to live, then we should create one. I hope that, through their involvement with Food Bank Shibuya, more people will consider this path together with us!


Approved Specified Nonprofit Corporation Food Bank Shibuya
https://foodbank-shibuya.org/