Highlights of 1982
Joseph Edison initiated a Regional Conference of all Western Canadian Food Banks (i.e. Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina and Winnipeg) in May while still working at the Calgary Interfaith Food Bank. It was successful because the participants of the inter-food bank conference decided to expand food banks to the central and eastern cities of Canada. With the experience and example of the Western Food Banks, the expansion was undertaken and was successful.

Joseph Edison went and helped establish the first Third World Food Bank in Poona, India. Because of the success in India, Francis Lopez went to France to forward the food bank concept and a catholic nun started the first food bank in Paris a few months later.

Highlights of 1985
By Joseph Edison's initiation and with the assistance of John Van Hengel, David Asher (an Anglican Pastor), and Max Surjadinata (a United Church Social Ministry Pastor), The Global Food Bank Association was started in Calgary to expand food banks across the world. The Association consisted of many distinguished persons, including the former Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, the Honorable Grant MacEwan.

In August, Joseph was sent by the Board to Mexico City to set up the first food bank there. It was inaugurated on September 1st. Upon his return to Canada, a deadly earthquake struck Mexico City and destroyed the structural systems of the food bank. Joseph was rushed by the board back to Mexico City on a fact finding mission to assess the extent of the damage so that the Global Food Bank Association could respond with needed assistance.

Between October 1985 and March 1986, the Global Food Bank Association carried out the largest Canadian Relief Effort with 700 tonnes of food sent to Mexico City's Food Bank, and distributed to 150,000 people left homeless by the disaster. The Government of Mexico publicly praised the Global Food Bank's relief efforts.

In November, the WJFB was incorporated both provincially and federally, and was registered as a charitable organization.

In mid 1987, new development projects were initiated by the WJFB in India, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Brazil, Bolivia, and Mexico.

Highlights of 1990
More overseas projects were initiated while the existing Calgary projects expanded. Upon a request by the United Nations for drastic measures to be taken in each and every town around the world to alleviate poverty, exploitation, and hunger among children, the WJFB established a feeding program on December 14 for street kids in Calgary: Brown Bagging It for Calgary's Street Kids. The deputy chief of the Calgary Police Service, Len Esler, was personally involved and his department was heavily involved in making sure the program is successful in order to reduce violence and crime on the streets.

Highlights of 1991
The Brown Bagging It for Calgary Street Kids program continued to draw great acclaim and serves as a highly successful example of dedicated volunteers in action.  By the end of 1991, this program had served over 50,000 bag lunches. Projects in other parts of the world continued to move forward, as the WJFB fulfilled its commitments to the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). The WJFB experienced some formidable financial problems due to the economic recession, and suffered setbacks as a result.

Highlights of 1992
WJFB's financial difficulties continued as the recession took an increasing toll on the economy, making it harder to secure corporate donations. The WJFB managed to raise a record amount of surplus foods, seeds and other goods.   At the invitation of the Mayor of Moscow,  Hon. Gavril Papov, Joseph traveled to Russia where he played an instrumental role in establishing the first food bank in Moscow.  Food supplies were also arranged for several orphanages in the area. In addition, an Agricultural Food Growing initiative was undertaken. The WJFB examined other methods of assisting the poor in Russia through contacts made during the trip.  Moscow City Council and the Russian Government praised and commended WJFB's efforts very highly. Many of WJFB's foreign projects were completed this year with high success rates.  To date The Brown Bagging It for Calgary Street Kids program served over 100,000 bag lunches to hungry street people.

Highlights of 1993
This was a year of completion for all development projects in the less developed countries funded by the Alberta Government and CIDA.  In addition, we sent large donations of agricultural seeds from U.S. seed companies to the Russian Orthodox Church to distribute them to the poor farmers. The project is still progressing to date. Shipping for the seeds is paid for by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A.). Furthermore we received large donations of potatoes, salmon fish and vegetables and have distributed to Calgary's needy agencies such as the Salvation Army, Women's Shelters, and the Calgary Catholic Immigration Refugee House.

Highlights of 1994
Once again this year has been one of significant growth in local and overseas projects. The Brown Bagging It for Calgary Street Kids Program distributed more than 245,000 lunches to date. The Agricultural Seed Program expanded to other countries (Mexico, Ukraine, and Russia) to assist in the food growing program for the food banks in those countries. We also had a number of surplus food donations this year which were distributed to the Salvation Army, Women's Shelters and the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society Refugee House.

The year saw the move into the current premises and expansion of the staff from three in January to eight in August, in anticipation of the program expansion through external funding. Time was spent to put in place systems, policies and procedures to help formalize the operations of the organization. After discussions with potential overseas partners, a number of proposals for development initiatives were developed, including Low and Lower Income Housing Villages in Sri Lanka and Micro-Enterprise in India. The funding did not arrive as expected by the end of the year, but we have confirmations that these funds would be available in the coming weeks.

Highlights of 1996 -1998
These are the critical years when WJFB took time to conduct critical examination and review WJFB strategies, while carrying out the current activities.  We reviewed what has been done successfully, then researched and developed how future project planning, financing and implementation would be conducted.

• WJFB hired several people to carry out research and development by critically examining merits and demerits of methods of planning and implementation of small-to-medium size humanitarian and development projects (1985-1995).
   
• The same personnel critically researched and developed sound methods of planning and implementation of medium-to-large size development projects.
   
• WJFB carried out feasibility studies in (a) Low Cost Housing for Sri Lanka, Ghana, India and Mexico (b) Micro-Credit Lending and Banking for the rural poor in India, Ghana, Mexico and Russia, Agricultural Projects in Eastern Europe, Russia, Ghana and Mexico.
   
• WJFB researched and developed the expansion of donor-base and financing of projects by large international corporations, banks, individual business owners, Foundations, Clubs and Associations.
   
• WJFB researched ideas to study and expanding the potential donor-base for WJFB with the help of world institutions like the United Nations, World Bank and other financial institutions .
   
• Simultaneously, WJFB continued nurturing previously established projects with its host country project partner NGOs to ascertain that the projects are sustainable and continuing. Some projects were given continued funding support to carry out their good work.
   
• The Brown Bagging It for Calgary Street Kids continued to grow and impact the Calgary community greatly with service to the street kids in daily counseling, rehabilitation and feeding.

Highlights of 1999
WJFB continued with most of the above activities in 1999 . Financial base for projects was being firmed up and has become promising. With the advent of the War in Kosovo, WJFB cooperated and signed contracts with the United Nations to provide emergency food for refugees in Serbia and Montenegro. From late July to early September,  3,140,069 loaves of bread had been produced and distributed to refugees in different cities.  There are 400 people in 65 bakeries involved in this project.  More then 150,000 people have benefited from this project.

Highlights of 2000

• The local Brown Bagging it for Calgary Street Kids has been running for 10 years and it is continuing to grow and impact the Calgary community very greatly with the service to the Street Kids in daily counseling, rehabilitation and feeding.
   

• Native Women’s Work of Canada was a short term project geared to generating income for Aboriginal women to lessen their dependence on social assistance.  It provides an opportunity for these women to market native handcrafts and beadwork and to gain practical business experience.
   

• Community Outreach Services is set up by WJFB.  It aims to help immigrants of any age, gender or ethic background to successfully integrate and adapt to Canadian society.  It also provides services to senior immigrants suffering from family abuse.
   

• As a preventative health care and hygiene measure for the whole community, WJFB has initiated the Community Public Sanitation Projects for the poor families in the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia in May.  To this date, WJFB has completed four projects in the area.  Before the project were initiated, there were no public sanitation facilities in the area and people had to use the river for littering, bathing, latrine, drinking, washing clothes and dishes. Since the river is polluted, families can’t avoid contacting water borne diseases. The new public sanitary facilities benefit more than 350 families in 7 communities of the area by providing them with access to clean water and increasing the people’s awareness of health and environmental issues.
   

• An Ongoing Education Project is proposed for mountain villages in Sichuan, China.  WJFB will work with a local organization to build a school, which aims to provide safe place and an opportunity for the poor children to attend school.
   

• WJFB helped the Teen Drop-In Centre in Salgotarjan, Hungary to set up a lunch program to feed hungry teens.    

Highlights of 2001

• Calgary Community Outreach

• Brown Bagging it for Calgary Street Kids was incorporated as its own society. WJFB felt that the program had developed a distinct character and this lead to its incorporations and eventual spin-off.

• The China Education Project will commence in May 2001. WJFB  provides funds to build a school in the Jialing District, Sichuan, China which will benefit more than 150 children.

• The Sewing Skills Training Program in Indonesia started in February 2001 to train women with certain skills to help improve their economic conditions and support their families. Single mothers and girls receive skill training at a certified sewing school in Jakarta. We plan to help them set up small businesses after training. WJFB will also provide funds for equipment and materials for the business.

• A proposal for a 5th Sanitation Project in Indonesia has been approved by the WJFB. The new sanitation building will consist of 2 toilets, 2 bathrooms, and 1 washing place. It will benefit approximately 50 families in the area just east of Jakarta.

• WJFB hopes to launch a Housing Project for the poor in the Sichuan province of China. More than 200 houses need to be built in 3 villages.

• There are several other potential projects in review.

• Indonesia Dress Making Cooperative
  In 2001, WJFB established a dress making cooperative in Indonesia.  The cooperative is becoming self-reliant through its production of quality clothing items.  Initially, WJFB provided the group with training through the Sewing Skills Training Program.

• CIDA / WJFB China Rural Education Project
  The project started in February 2002.  This promotes basic education in poor mountain villages in Sichuan, China.  The project will also improve education standards and help farmers improve their farming techniques to become more productive in rural areas.

• UN Paperless Project
  WJFB donated USD $75,000 to facilitate the "Paperless Committee" of the NGO Department of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.  This project significantly reduces the amount of paperwork by using electronic and wireless technologies.

• Calgary Community Outreach

(C) World Job and Food Bank.
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