As the founder of the Harbourfront Gives Foundation, I couldn’t be happier to share our latest work on behalf of Food Banks Canada.
Food Banks Canada, a major source of food for those in need, has once again expanded its After the Bell program. This incredible program provides healthy food packs during summer months to children across the country and helps fill the critical food gap that occurs for many families when school nutrition programs become unavailable.
But getting all those food packs ready for delivery takes lots of time and energy, which is why the Packing Day event is so important!
As Food Banks Canada describes it:
The packs are assembled at our packing day event with shelf-stable items such as milk, hummus, crackers, cereal, oatmeal, and sunflower seeds. The packs are then sent to the local food bank who uses grant money to supplement the food packs with perishable items such as apples, sugar snap peas, cheese, and yogurt.
Harbourfront Gives Foundation joined hundreds of volunteers at this recent event, packing up thousands of nutritious food packs and sending them on their way to help address child hunger, including remote communities. I was proud to join several employees to get the packs assembled and loaded onto pallets, ready for shipping out to kids who need them.
My experience with Food Banks Canada has shown me just how critical they are to keeping Canadian children from going hungry. For that reason, I decided to match our firm’s donation. Then I doubled it, and presented a cheque for over $80,000 from the Harbourfront Gives Foundation to help alleviate child hunger.
The additional support from the Foundation comes at a critical time. Many families are using food banks, some for the first time this year, as growing food costs impact Canadians. In 2022, food banks experienced a 15% increase in visits, bringing usage levels to an all-time high. Unfathomably, in the same year, donations hit a record low.
Our Foundation raised money for thousands of meals during the holiday season, but I saw the need to do more. In fact, once I heard that our fellow Canadians’ demand for food bank support had dramatically increased, I was compelled to act.
Food banks around the country have reported skyrocketing hunger, especially among children. As Food Banks Canada does everything it can to address the problem, I’m proud to say that both Harbourfront Gives Foundation and myself will be there to help.