Community organizations across Canada will have access to $4.5 million in funding form Second Harvest’s website, FoodRescue.ca to help ensure food gets to Canadians in need.
Second Harvest said the COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented number of Canadians to be concerned about their access to food.
According to Second Harvest, its new grant program was made available through $100 million from the federal government to food organizations around the country.
“Our country needs to fight through this pandemic together. We thank the Government of Canada for helping us on our mission – that no Canadian be left behind,” said Lori Nikkel, CEO of Second Harvest. “We know well-established charities and non-profits can access resources that smaller organizations – local groups, shelters, local meal programs, and others – simply cannot. Money for these groups means food on the tables of hungry families across Canada. Without these groups, we risk whole communities and vulnerable populations falling between the gaps of our social safety net.”
Nikkel added that funding for community organizations have been made available through their website.
Nikkel said that the Second Harvest has made a rapid expansion across the country since the onset of the virus.
“We were an organization in B.C. and Ontario and a few other provinces, but we’ve had to roll out, into every province and territory in a matter of weeks so we could ensure that small organization that is not associated with the Food Banks of Canada or Salvation Army could access food.”
According to Second Harvest, its goal is to recover perishable food that would otherwise be thrown away and supply it to non-profits to distribute to those in need in their community.
Nikkel added that while many store shelves may look sparse, people don’t need to worry about supply.
“The hospitality industry is unfortunately not doing very well, but that actually meant that there’s a lot more food in the supply chain that we’ve had to move across the country,” said Nikkel. “We know there’s a lot of fear and a lot of anxiety right now, and people are shopping a little extra. That’s creating some more panic, but there’s food in the supply chain, so I want everyone to know that food is coming.”
Nikkel encourages any organizations that wish to gain access to their supply of food or apply for a grant to sign up through the FoodRescue.ca website.