Ottawa Food Bank has urgent need for assistance
Donations lagging behind previous years
(Ottawa, ON) The Ottawa Food Bank is sending out an urgent appeal for cash donations this holiday season. As they head into their busiest time of year, donations are down by as much as 40 per cent as compared to last year.
“The holidays usually bring in nearly half of the year’s donations,” said Michael Maidment, Executive Director of the Ottawa Food Bank. “However, this year there doesn’t seem to be as much coming in online or in the mail.”
Cash donations are imperative to the Ottawa Food Bank’s operation, as they need to make food purchases to add to what is donated. Thanks to their bulk purchasing power with food industry partners, the Ottawa Food Bank can turn $1 donated into $5 worth of food.
The Ottawa Food Bank uses donated resources very efficiently with only four per cent going to administrative costs and the rest going directly to help the hungry in Ottawa.
“A shortage of cash not only affects the Ottawa Food Bank, but also the Ottawa community at large,” says Maidment. “The Ottawa Food Bank reaches people in need across the entire city. It reaches people in every walk of life from children in breakfast programs and families in need of a little extra help, to those who are homeless accessing shelters and people unable to work due to injury or illness.”
The Ottawa community is encouraged to make a secure online donation at www.ottawafoodbank.ca/empty or by calling 613-745-7001.
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About the Ottawa Food Bank
The Ottawa Food Bank is the Ottawa Region’s central food assistance organization. Through its 140 member agencies, the Ottawa Food Bank helps 48,000 individuals per month, 37 per cent of whom are children. On average, 12-14 tons of food is shipped from its Michael Street warehouse each working day. For additional information, visit www.ottawafoodbank.ca.
For more information contact:
Patti Murphy
Director, Communications & Development
Ottawa Food Bank
613-745-7001
patti@ottawafoodbank.ca
