Ottawa, ON – On Friday, the Ottawa Food Bank was proud to reveal their new industrial size walk-in freezer, purchased and installed thanks to a generous $150,000 Capital grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). Local MPP John Fraser and OTF Board Member Larry Malloy were at the reveal to congratulate the Ottawa Food Bank on their work in the community and to present the not for profit with a commemorative plaque.
The new piece of equipment will be an asset in helping Ottawa Food Bank to reduce food waste and increase the amount of donations that can be accepted, and in turn provide more food to people in need in the Ottawa community.
Quotes:
“Unfortunately, food bank usage is at an all time high, however this grant allows the Ottawa Food Bank the ability to further support those most vulnerable in our community. Having the capacity to accept further perishable food items will ensure that more food is served to those in need.”
– John Fraser, MPP for Ottawa South
“You never want to tell a supporter – whether corporate or an individual – that you can’t accept their donation of goods due to lack of space in the warehouse. Thanks to the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s grant we’ve installed a 6,900 cubic foot walk-in freezer to increase our capacity, so we won’t have to do that again.”
– Michael Maidment, CEO, Ottawa Food Bank
Quick Facts:
- $150,000 grant to purchase and install a walk-in freezer
- Over 6,900 cubic feet of freezer space (18’ wide x 24’ long x 16’ high)
- Last year, 49 per cent of the food distributed by the Ottawa Food Bank was fresh – including fruits, vegetables, eggs, dairy, and meat
- The Ottawa Food Bank works with 112 community food programs across the city to provide food to over 39,000 people every month
- For more information, please visit the website or Facebook page. Follow the Ottawa Food Bank on Twitter @OttawaFoodBank
- The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. OTF awarded $108 million to 629 projects last year to build healthy and vibrant communities in Ontario
