OTTAWA, ON – On Friday, the Ottawa Food Bank hosted local MPP John Fraser along with home delivery partner, Gopher-it Cares, to recognize the impact of a $100,000 Resilient Communities grant through the provincial government’s Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF).
“This OTF investment in The Ottawa Food Bank has allowed them to enhance their home delivery program with a new provider.” said John Fraser, MPP for Ottawa South. “The grant allows the Ottawa Food Bank to better serve their growing clientele and recover from the impacts of the pandemic. Thank you to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for supporting this important, life-changing organization through their Resilient Communities Fund.”
First awarded in July 2022, the funding was helped the Ottawa Food Bank manage and coordinate their home delivery program with a new delivery service provide to ensure the Food Bank’s sustainability and expansion throughout the city. Gopher-it Cares was recently selected as new partner, and eight agencies were onboarded between October 2022 and September 2023
The home delivery program facilitated the distribution of over 174,000 lbs of food last year. It remains a lifeline for families and individuals facing mobility challenges, such as seniors, single parents, immunocompromised individuals, and those coping with illnesses or injuries.
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 – 37 percent 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 2001 Bantree Street warehouse every weekday. Since 2019, the Ottawa Food Bank network received 493,000 visits, representing a 68% increase from 2019. For more information, please visit the website or Facebook page. Follow the Ottawa Food Bank on Twitter @OttawaFoodBank
“Non-profit organizations across Ontario deliver programming that makes a difference,” said Neil Lumsden, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. “That’s why funding that my ministry is providing through the OTF is so important. Our government wants to ensure that these programs and spaces remain the heart of communities across our province.”
The Ontario Trillium Foundation’s (OTF) mission is to build healthy and vibrant communities across Ontario. As an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations, last year, OTF invested over $110M into 1,022 community projects and partnerships. Visit otf.ca to learn more.
– 30 –
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 – 37 percent 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 2001 Bantree Street warehouse every weekday.
For more information, please visit https://www.ottawafoodbank.ca/.
For media enquiries or to book an interview, please contact:
Tricia Johnson
Director of Communications and Development | Ottawa Food Bank
tricia@ottawafoodbank.ca, 613-745-7001 ext. 119
