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
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
NEW High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
NEW Where to watch the state funeral for former prime minister Brian Mulroney
A state funeral for former prime minister Brian Mulroney will be held in Montreal on March 23. CTV News will have live special coverage of his funeral service.
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.