CTV Morning Live Holiday Helpers Food Drive fundraising total to be announced Friday
Ottawa residents opened their wallets and their hearts on Thursday to help fill the shelves at the Ottawa Food Bank this holiday season.
CTV Morning Live hosted its annual Holiday Helpers Food Drive, collecting donations and raising awareness about the importance of donating during this critical time of year.
Viewers, community organization representatives, Bell Media personalities and others dropped by during the four-hour show on Friday morning to support the food drive.
"It's special this year because the need is so great," CTV Morning Live host Annette Goerner said.
"Half of the people that came here today I recognized because I've been with them year after year taking their donations, and that to me is one of the warmest parts that warms my heart."
Donations included $21,000 from SerCo Construction Ltd. and Serco Realty Group, $10,000 from Boyd Moving and Construction, $5,000 from Yardman Store, $10,000 from Doyle Salewski, and $3,000 from Coventry Connections.
"This year is incredibly important for us, we're seeing unprecedented and historic numbers of people needing access to food banks," Ottawa Food Bank chief executive officer Rachael Wilson said. "An event like this will help us through the holiday season and into the new year."
The fundraising total will be announced on Friday morning's show.
The food drive comes as the Ottawa Food Bank sees a nearly 20 per cent increase in the number of visits this year compared to 2021.
You can still make an online monetary donation if you couldn't make it down to 87 George Street.
Every dollar donated gives the Ottawa Food Bank $5 worth of buying power to purchase needed items.
Three items in need at the Ottawa Food Bank are:
- Baby items: Diapers, cereal and baby food
- Non-perishable items
- Pasta and canned meats
Since 2007, the CTV Morning Live Holiday Helpers Food Drive has collected over 572,00 pounds of food and $1.3 million in cash donations.
With files from CTV News Ottawa's Peter Szperling
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.