Since launching in March 2017 with the opening of the Food Rescue Distribution Centre, the project has been collecting over 2,000kg of fresh food daily and distributing it through a network of more than 50 organizations including non-profits, First Nations and public schools, feeding an estimated 35,000 people each month. An estimated 600,000kg of fresh food from local grocery stores would otherwise be destined for the landfill annually.
The Food Rescue project was made possible by the Victoria Foundation matching funds with the Rotary Clubs of Greater Victoria for a total of $200,000 to seed the project. An additional $215,000 of grant funding was distributed to seven organizations in April 2018 by the Victoria Foundation in ongoing partnership with the Rotary Clubs of Greater Victoria, with the 54th World Championship International Golfing Fellowship of Rotary held at Bear Mountain raising over $75,000 and Victoria Rotary raising $16,000 through their annual gala.
This supports the project’s continued expansion to new communities, and in reducing additional food waste through the installation of a commercial kitchen to process rescued food into soups and value added products for distribution to the food insecure. We’d like to thank all applying organizations for their participation in the Food Rescue project, and are pleased to announce the following grants:
- Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness
- The Mustard Seed Street Church
- Oaklands Community Association
- Silver Threads Service
- Victoria Single Parent Resource Society
- Our Place Society
- St. Vincent de Paul of Vancouver Island
Donations to the Food Security Community Action Fund, held at the Victoria Foundation, support projects such as this and assist in expanding the reach of the food access system in the Capital Region, reducing hunger in our community and facilitating connections between vulnerable people and neighbourhood-based programs.
