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Canada is flattening the curve on the spread of COVID-19 but the pandemic response has seen an unprecedented number of Canadians worry how they will afford to put food on the table. Among the organizations responding to the challenge is Second Harvest, the largest food rescue organization in Canada and a global thought leader on food recovery, which scaled up efforts through FoodRescue.ca, a free donation platform connecting businesses with food surpluses to charities and non-profits in their own backyards.
“Our country needs to fight through this pandemic together,” says 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.”
Second Harvest is leveraging its many existing networks for recovering perishable food from the supply chain and provide it to the charities and non-profits that redistribute within their communities to those who are hungry or food insecure, but these networks need more to address COVID-19’s pressure on their resources.
“While we are already working with generous food donors, we know there is more work needed,” says Ms. Nikkel. “There are other food businesses, for example, from farms that need to find a home for their crops to smaller community stores, that are out there. We can get them connected within their own communities, and they could make a real difference.”
Community groups 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. Ms. Nikkel would also like to encourage companies with a food surplus to use FoodRescue.ca as a platform for connecting with local organizations in need and help avoid needless waste.
“Together we can work to ensure that no Canadian goes hungry,” she says.
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