Through the centre, quality, perishable food donated by Thrifty Foods will be collected and re-distributed by The Mustard Seed Street Church to Food Share Network partners and food insecure people living in Greater Victoria. Over 2,000 kilograms a day is diverted from compost and donated from 11 Thrifty Foods stores.
Fourteen per cent of all people living in the region are food insecure, meaning some 50,000 people do not have the means to access healthy food. Food banks, emergency hampers and meals programs currently serve 20,000 people annually, but there are an additional 30,000 “hidden hungry” who do not access these programs and struggle to feed themselves and their families.
“Food waste is painful for everyone,” said Ralf Mundel, Senior Director of Retail Operations at Thrifty Foods. “The food rescue project is an amazing way to connect quality, perishable food to the people in our community who need it the most.”
The food rescue project is the result of regional collaboration among non-profit agencies and stakeholders that came together under the Food Share Network umbrella.
For more information on how you can help by donating, volunteering or if you know of someone who may benefit from these programs, please visit: www.foodsharenetwork.com