Friday, December 18, 2020

Feds double domestic food aid

Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau announced the Emergency Food Reserve Fund is being doubled to $200 million.


The new funding will provide $18.5 million to Food Banks Canada, $18.5 million to Breakfast Club of Canada, $8.9 million to Second Harvest, $8.9 million to Community Food Centres Canada, $8.85 million to the Salvation Army, and $1.34 million to La Tablée des Chefs.


A further $5 million will be allocated from reserve funds.


Bibeau made the announcement, alongside Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller and Northern Affairs Minister Daniel Vandal, during a roundtable event with front-line volunteers and food security organization workers from across Canada.


During the roundtable people heard about the work being done by volunteers and workers who  face more demands with fewer resources.


The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened food security concerns, particularly in northern and Indigenous communities. Local food organizations are often strained to find adequate volunteers and staff.


Indigenous Services Canada will use $30 million of the new funding to bolster its Indigenous Community Support Fund, bringing this fund’s total to $1.1 billion.