Our Staff

Started as a volunteer.

Employee since 2009. Executive Director since 2011

Peter is the reason why Loaves and Fishes Food bank is so successful. Under his leadership Loaves and Fishes has grown from a small food bank to one of the premier charities in B.C. He is excellent to work for and truly cares about the many in our community who depend on Loaves and Fishes. 

When he isn't at work Peter can be found spending time with his wife and 2 young boys or working on his small farm and racing his mountain bike.

Employee since 2009.

Alex manages and coordinates all drivers and warehouse staff as well as the scheduling of food recovery pickup and delivery. He also ensures the warehouse is running smoothly and the food is brought to our clients through our depots in good condition and on time. All warehouse operations rely on Alex.

When Alex isn't working at Loaves and Fishes he enjoys hiking with his wife and dog. He is a long time fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

Employee since 2017

Abby is in charge of fundraising initiatives, grants, events, social media, marketing and public relations. She facilitates 3rd Party Events within the community and manages projects such as Empties 4 Food. Most donors receive their thank you cards from her as well!

When she isn't working at Loaves and Fishes, Abby can be found camping with her husband and 3 daughters. She also loves traveling and being outdoors as much as possible. 

Employee since 2019

Nicole is in charge of all things office and data related that helps keep the other departments running smoothly. She also greets donors and answers all general phone and email inquiries. She is born and raised in Nanaimo. She has a husband and two young sons. When Nicole isn't working she likes to spend time with her family. 

Started as a volunteer.

Employee since 2016.

Dave coordinates and supervises all free food market openings at the Farquhar Street free food market in addition to supporting the work of our other locations with monthly visits. Dave is available to help with client relations and keeps the other staff informed of the needs of our clients. 

Dave has a wife and 2 grown boys. He enjoys playing basketball and guitar as well as exploring local parks with his wife. 

Employee since 2022

Don supervises the warehouse crew to facilitate the incoming food being sorted, stored and then delivered to the free food markets and other organizations with maximum efficiency. He is originally from Nanaimo and in his free time he enjoys sports, hiking and spending time with his grandchildren. 

Started as a volunteer.

Employee since 2013.

Wendy coordinates, communicates with and organizes the entire Loaves and Fishes 1,600 strong volunteer force.  She is aided in this task by the capable assistance of volunteer coordinators for distribution teams at each depot.  Not only does Wendy welcome new volunteers with her bi-weekly volunteer orientations, she does corporate volunteer orientations as well. She makes sure that when tasks need to be done we have an adequate volunteer force ready. 

When she isn't at Loaves and Fishes, Wendy enjoys travel, good food and being on the water. She especially enjoys being "Grammy" to her adorable Grandchildren.

Kate is currently learning on the job to be the new Volunteer Manager when Wendy steps down. Originally born in England, Kate has lived in Canada since she was 9. Kate is a long time volunteer since 2015 before taking this role. Her background experience is in corporate wellbeing and fitness. In her free time Kate likes to explore local trails with her family.

Employee since 2019

Leslie is in charge of managing our Free Food Market in Port Hardy as well as helping to ensure our North Island operations run smoothly. She is originally from Saskatchewan and lives with her family in Coal Harbour. Leslie loves the rural setting of her community. When she isn't working for Loaves and Fishes Leslie has a burgeoning market garden and sells microgreens as a vendor at the local Farmers Market. She and her family especially like to explore their local area from their sailboat where they can look for whales, forage for wild foods, and fish. 

Joel has worked at Loaves & Fishes since April 2020. He recently graduated from VIU with a degree in Kinesiology. Joel supervises the needs and relationships of the other organizations we serve. He also helps out in general at the warehouse and food distribution. Originally from Nanaimo, Joel enjoys playing all kinds of sports, especially volleyball. 

Employee since 2022

Emily connects with people in the office, over the phone and through Loaves & Fishes emails. She answers questions and assists in general office duties. She is originally from Nanaimo and in her spare time Emily enjoys hiking, reading and volunteering with her church. 

Michèle started as a volunteer in 2017. In January 2020 she was hired to assist Wendy Lim-Connolly. Michèle helps with the welcoming, communication, coordination and scheduling of volunteers. When she isn’t working at Loaves and Fishes, Michèle enjoys a good game of tennis and practicing her languages by travelling far and wide. 

Angela is in charge of helping to ensure our depot runs smoothly by managing volunteers and operations on site. She is originally from Nanaimo and enjoys paddle boarding in her free time. 

Josh is born and raised on Vancouver Island. He works in the warehouse helping to make sure the food is sorted and ready to be delivered. He also manages our IT systems and maintains our computers. Josh has a lovely wife and two kids. In his free time Josh enjoys spending time with his family playing video games. 

Employee since 2012.

Jeff drives for the Food 4U Food Recovery Program and assists with warehouse loading and operations. He helps to make sure the food is picked up from our grocery partners and the sorted food gets to the depots on time. Jeff also enjoys playing occasional pranks on his co workers. 

When Jeff isn't working at Loaves and Fishes he enjoys spending time with his wife and 2 young boys. He also has a small bike shop where he builds bikes.

James works as a driver and sorter for our Empties 4 Food program. He is originally from Ontario and lives in Nanaimo with his "lovely wife." He is a recent graduate from the music program at VIU. In his free time he enjoys playing the drums for jazz bands. 

Employee since 2021

Jake drives our trucks to collect the food from our grocery partners and helps sort and distribute it in the warehouse. He is originally from Campbell River and has lived in Nanaimo since April 2021. When he is not working Jake enjoys snowboarding and sea-dooing. 

Employee since 2022

Wiseman works in the warehouse as a driver to collect, sort and distribute food. He is originally from South Africa and has lived in Nanaimo for 14 years. In his free time Wiseman enjoys exercising. 

Ryan has worked at Loaves & Fishes in the warehouse since April 2022. He is originally from Nanaimo and likes swimming during his time off.

Employee since 2022

Dan works in the warehouse sorting and packing food for our distribution depots. He also drives the trucks to collect food from our grocery partners. He is originally from Victoria and has lived in Nanaimo for 15 years. When Dan isn't working he likes gardening and working on his vehicles. 

Employee since 2021

Jason drives our trucks to collect food from our grocery partners and helps sort and distribute the food in our warehouse. He is originally from Edmonton and has lived in Nanaimo for 9 years. In his free time Jason enjoys camping and hiking. 

Employee since 2022. Ryan works in the warehouse helping to sort and store food as well as driving Loaves & Fishes trucks. He is originally from Quesnel. When Ryan isn't working he enjoys exploring Vancouver Island and spending time with his cats. (Ryan is not married to Abby. He is her brother in law)

Ehsan works in our warehouse as a crew member. He is originally from Syria where he worked as a Civil Engineer. Eshan has lived in Canada with his family for 2 years. He has a lovely wife and 4 children. For fun he enjoys playing basketball. 

Employee Since 2022

Chris helps in the warehouse sorting and organizing food. He grew up in Qualicum and has been in Nanaimo since 2013. In his free time Chris like to play video games and go hiking. 

Employee since 2021

Austin works doing general duties in our warehouse helping to process incoming and outgoing food as well as sorting Empties for our Empties 4 Food Program. He is in grade 12 at the Nanaimo Christian School and born and raised in Nanaimo. In his free time he likes to play volleyball and is very excited that he just bought his first car. A Nissan 350 Z! 

Hamza work with moving food and bin washing in the warehouse. He is originally from Syria and has lived in Nanaimo for 3 years. Hamza is a high school student. In his free time he likes to play soccer. 

Employee since 2022

David helps with general duties in the warehouse sorting, moving and sorting food. He was born in Ontario but grew up in Nanaimo. In his spare time David really enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter and woodworking. 

Employee since 2020

Eddie works at our Empties 4 Food sorting site on the weekends making sure empty drink containers are sorted efficiently to earn money for Loaves & Fishes operations. He is originally from Tofino and has lived in Nanaimo got 15 years. When Eddie is not working he likes to go to movies. 

Stenson works as a full time Machinist for Eddyfi Technologies building robots. Stenson likes giving back to the community so he works on call weekends for as a driver and warehouse crew member. In his spare time he volunteers teaching elderly people the joys of mountain biking. 

Started as a volunteer.

Employee since 2014.

Mary is in charge of keeping the Farquhar Street depot and warehouse clean. She greets clients with her friendly attitude and helps the Farquhar Depot have a welcoming atmosphere by handing out sandwiches and snacks. 

When Mary isn't working at Loaves and Fishes she collects bottles. She also enjoys movies and seeing her grown up children.