Second Harvest food recovery - graphics from Second Harvest

By Dori Modney

Second Harvest Food Rescue offers more than $4.5 million to community groups who feed Canadians

Apr 6, 2020 | 3:18 PM

TORONTO, ON. — Canadian homes throw away $1,766 worth of food every year. The dollar value of unused food thrown out by businesses every year, is in the millions of dollars.

As the COVID-19 pandemic deepens, the situation has left many unprecedented number of Canadians are worrying for the first time about how they will afford to put food on the table.

With that in mind, Canada’s largest food rescue organization,

Second Harvest, is rolling out $4.5 million in new funding to community groups who are feeding vulnerable Canadians during this crisis.

For the first time, they’re providing grants through their program, FoodRescue.ca, which connects businesses with food surpluses to charities and non-profits in their area.

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The aim of the grants is to empower local community organizations across the country with the ability to ensure food makes its way to Canadians who need it most.

With a $100-million dollar donation from the federal government, Second Harvest is scaling up operations to meet this sudden, dire need through FoodRescue.ca.

Second Harvest is Canada’s largest food rescue organization, with many existing networks in place to recover perishable food from the supply chain and provide it to the charities and non-profits that redistribute within their communities to those who are impacted by food insecurity. However, these networks need more help to to address COVID-19’s pressure on their resources.

Community groups of all kinds facing increased demand for food services and support should visit FoodRescue.ca, where they can complete a simple application and receive funding in the coming weeks.

Companies with a food surplus should also visit FoodRescue.ca to be connected with local organizations in need and avoid waste during this time of great need.

Lori Nikkel, CEO of Second Harvest, says, “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.”

“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.”

The Second Harvest organization is hoping to raise awareness for all local groups that this funding and food resources exist. Second Harvest can help local groups, by providing grants and expertise.