6 hours Ago By Kim Wilhelm
Collaboration is key to building a stronger, hunger-free community. Sometimes that collaboration happens right here at the local level, and other times, it goes beyond. Let me explain.
Imagine an Ontario farmer named Joe. After a successful harvest, Joe ends up with more fresh produce than he can sell. Wanting to make a difference, he decides to donate the extra food to his local food bank.
When Joe arrives, though, he learns that the food bank has limited space and can only accept a small portion of his donation. Since Joe doesn’t know of any other food banks that can take the rest, he’s left with no choice but to throw away the remaining fresh fruits and vegetables — wasting perfectly good food that could have gone to people in need. Stories like this are why exists.
Spearheaded by our provincial partner, Feed Ontario, in partnership with The Food Bank of Waterloo Region, Feed Collaboration offers a solution for donors like Joe. The program provides food producers — including farmers, greenhouses, hydroponic growers, processors, manufacturers, and distributors — with a single, convenient channel to donate surplus food to food banks across southwestern Ontario. Donating to Feed Collaboration is simple.
Food producers like Joe just contact The Food Bank of Waterloo Region, and we handle the rest! We pick up donations in our refrigerated trucks, keeping the food fresh and safe. From there, we store it in our 31,000-square-foot distribution centre, which is equipped to manage large quantities of surplus food. Then, we distribute it to participating food banks and food assistance providers across southwestern Ontario, based on their capacity to accept the donation and the needs of the people they support.
This centralized, efficient system ensures no food is wasted, and every donation reaches someone facing hunger. This program not only streamlines the donation process — making it easier for food producers to support multiple food banks — but also provides food banks, and the people they serve, with a wider variety of food. Thanks to Feed Collaboration, food banks aren’t limited to what’s available in their immediate area.
A rural food bank can receive granola bars from a manufacturer in a big city, while an urban food bank can benefit from fresh apples grown on an Ontario farm hours away. With Feed Collaboration, people experiencing food insecurity across the province can access the full range of what Ontario producers have to offer. Last year, food producers generously donated an impressive 980,490 pounds of surplus food to The Food Bank of Waterloo Region.
Through Feed Collaboration, this food was shared with food banks across southwestern Ontario, representing a remarkable 145 per cent increase in contributions compared to the previous year. This growth highlights the incredible impact of collaboration and a strong community focus in fighting hunger and reducing waste. If you’re a food producer interested in donating surplus food to Feed Collaboration, email Nicole Marinelli at .
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