$1 million in meat and poultry to be given to Ottawa Food Bank over 10 years

The Ottawa Food Bank will receive a large donation valued at $1-million from Premium Meats.

The donation will be in the form of meat and poultry products and will be received over 10 years starting this year, said the food bank in a news release on Thursday.

“This is the first gift of this size to the Ottawa Food Bank in its 40-year history,” said the food bank.

The cost of living is making it hard for some people to make ends meet and pay bill, and this initiative is meant to help the community, adds Marc Steele of Premium Meats.

“Premium Meats has our community at heart. We deeply empathize with families and individuals in our community who are experiencing need. We hope our gifts and ten-year commitment to the Ottawa Food Bank will ease the fear and worries families feel when they cannot afford to pay the bills and put enough food on the table,” said Steele.

Steele hopes that other local businesses do the same.

The city’s food bank network of 112 food programs receives over 490,000 visits for food support, annually, which is the highest level of visits in the food bank’s history, and a 68 per cent jump since 2019, according to the release.

“In the face of rising food bank visits in Ottawa, last year the Ottawa Food Bank’s spending on food jumped to approximately $9.2 million, an increase of 46 per cent from the year before,” the food bank added.

The donation is not only going to help the food bank meet today’s increasing demand, but is also going to provide healthy choices to families and children.

“This incredible gift from Premium Meats is a remarkable expression of generosity and a long-term commitment to ensure everyone in Ottawa has safe, reliable access to healthy food,” said Rachael Wilson, CEO of the Ottawa Food Bank.

The Ottawa Food Bank is the nation capital’s main emergency food provider, supporting tens of thousands of people every month. More information is available online.