FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OTTAWA, ON – The Ottawa Food Bank is relocating to a larger, dedicated warehouse space in the fall of 2022, which will increase their capacity to accept higher volumes of donated fresh and frozen foods to meet the needs of those experiencing food insecurity within the Ottawa community.
The Ottawa Food Bank was located at 1317 Michael Street, a 20,000 sq ft facility that they have called home for 18 years. However, storage capacity limits have resulted in an annual loss of $80,000 in large food donations. This move will allow the Ottawa Food Bank to continue growing their operation in tandem with the increase of demand, which the organization has reported at 17%.
“As we are projecting a sustained increase in food bank usage, we need to set up the Ottawa Food Bank operations to meet the needs of the network of community food programs so they can support their neighbours,” said Rachael Wilson, CEO of the Ottawa Food Bank. “This move will mean we can provide more healthy and nutritious food to the network of over 100 agencies. Our new facility will be retrofitted to increase our cold storage by almost 300%, allowing us to provide more fresh and frozen foods, including dairy, proteins, and produce. Ultimately this will mean better health outcomes for those accessing a food bank in Ottawa.”
Across Canada, food banks have unavoidable and costly expenses, as turn-key facilities that meet operational requirements do not exist. The Ottawa Food Bank will launch a fundraising campaign to cover retrofit expenses and assist in the purchasing of commercial-grade food handling equipment and inventory management systems. The anticipated total cost for retrofitting the new home of the Ottawa Food Bank will be $4 million.
The move into a purpose-built facility will accommodate the increase in demand, capacity for food, and foster better Ottawa Food Bank programming to the city of Ottawa. The Ottawa Food Bank’s services will remain uninterrupted as renovations and the eventual move take place.
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About the Ottawa Food Bank: The Ottawa Food Bank is the main emergency food provider in the National Capital Region, which works in partnership with a network of over 100 community food programs to provide food and supplies for tens of thousands of people each month – 36 per cent of whom are children. With a focus on fresh, and thanks to the community’s support, on average 12 to 14 tons of food is distributed from the 1317 Michael Street warehouse every weekday. For more information, visit ottawafoodbank.ca
For media enquiries or to book an interview, please contact:
Alex Noreau | Interim Communications Manager, Ottawa Food Bank
alex@ottawafoodbank.ca | 613-745-7001 ext. 137
