TORONTO – Feed Ontario, formerly the Ontario Association of Food Banks, announced today that Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) will make an additional donation of $100,000 and up to 200,000 litres of incremental milk along with the over 1 million litres donated to food banks annually with their partners at the Ontario Dairy Council (ODC) and the Ontario Milk Transport Association (OMTA). These incremental donations, along with the longstanding annual donations will help support over 500,000 people during a challenging time which has put unprecedented stress on food banks to provide emergency food support for Ontario residents in need. “Dairy Farmers of Ontario have been incredibly dedicated partners for 25 years now, consistently donating milk to food banks in communities throughout the province,” says Carolyn Stewart, Executive Director of Feed Ontario.
“The annual support of milk that is donated by dairy farmers, transported by milk transporters, and processed and packaged by dairy processors (Gay Lea Foods, Saputo, Agropur, Lactalis, Reid’s, Kawartha, Farquhar, Organic Meadow), has always ensured that food bank facilities across Ontario have a steady inventory of dairy available for those that rely on our help,” says Stewart. Now, an additional donation of milk is being made with the help and financial support of Gay Lea Foods Co-operative Ltd. “We are thrilled to receive this extra support from Gay Lea Foods to help us replenish household staples that are especially in need right now,” adds Stewart.
“As dairy farmers, we put great importance on feeding and supporting the communities where we live and work, so for the past 25 years it has always been a natural fit to support food banks through Feed Ontario,” says Murray Sherk, Chair, Dairy Farmers of Ontario. “We’re proud that residents in need across Ontario can always rely on access to the highest quality dairy thanks to the ongoing contributions we can make alongside all of our partners at the ODC and OMTA.”
Feed Ontario’s most recent Hunger Report revealed that 510,438 adults, children, and seniors accessed food banks across Ontario last year, an increase of 8,848 people over the previous year. That means that even before this crisis reached the province, available food resources were stretched thin.
Source : DFO