FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OTTAWA, ON – In 2020, the Ottawa Food Bank received a $138,000 Resilient Communities Fund grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to help rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19. With this funding, the organization has implemented a home delivery program to meet the immediate needs of Ottawa’s most economically and health vulnerable.
“I am delighted that the Ottawa Food Bank was chosen as a recipient of a Resilient Communities Fund grant in 2020,” said Ottawa South MPP John Fraser. “The Ottawa Food Bank is a source of more than just food; they are a source of hope and security. Their emergency programs throughout the city provide everyday essentials to parents and children. I know this grant will help them continue the amazing work that they do and support our communities throughout the Ottawa Region.”
The Ottawa Food Bank’s objective of improving access to healthy food for all has been impacted by COVID-19, and home delivery was quickly identified as a service deficit in the early months of the pandemic. The Ottawa Food Bank’s Home Delivery Program now enables them to reach economically vulnerable individuals and families who cannot leave their homes to access their community food bank, including people with disabilities, seniors, single parents, and the immunocompromised.
“The essential home delivery program required further investment to continue meeting the needs of those affected by food insecurity in our community,” says Rachael Wilson, CEO of the Ottawa Food Bank. “To date, the Ottawa Food Bank has completed 5,063 home deliveries to reach 3,110 unique families and individuals who would have otherwise not been able to make it to their community food bank. The contributions of the Ontario Trillium Foundation have allowed us to expand our team by hiring two staff members; an intake worker to engage with clients when they call in a way that increases dignity and reduces food insecurity-related anxieties, and a dedicated delivery driver to meet the increased need of up to 30 deliveries per day. We are grateful to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for this crucial support – without this funding, the Ottawa Food Bank would not have had the resources required to meet the demand in our city.”
The Home Delivery Program assists the Ottawa community’s recovery from the pandemic by ensuring all vulnerable members of the community receive the food they need without risking their health or the health of others.
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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 112 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.
About the Ontario Trillium Foundation:
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. Last year, nearly $112M was invested into 1,384 community projects and partnerships to build healthy and vibrant communities and strengthen the impact of Ontario’s non‐profit sector. In 2020/21, OTF supported Ontario’s economic recovery by helping non‐profit organizations rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID‐19. Visit otf.ca to learn more.
For media enquiries or to book an interview, please contact:
Samantha Ingram | Communications Manager, Ottawa Food Bank
samantha@ottawafoodbank.ca | 613-322-6367