FCC campaign helps deliver 635 million meals to Canadians in need

People, companies and other organizations assembled 635 million meals for Canadians in need during Farm Credit Canada’s Drive Away Hunger campaign.

The donations can make the difference between going to bed hungry and having food on the table, while leaving money for other essentials such as rent, heat or a child’s winter coat, FCC president and chief executive officer Justine Hendricks said in a statement released in late February.

“The goal is to make sure food that would otherwise go to waste reaches family tables where it is needed,” Hendricks said.

Officials valued the meals provided at more than $2.25 billion, equal to about 63 meals per person in a year.

More than 10 million people, including nearly one in three children, live in households that do not always have enough food, the statement said. It added that food bank use rose by 5.2 per cent last year, with many users being working Canadians managing tight budgets.

Each year, farmers, processors, retailers and food companies voluntarily redirect surplus food to help families and reduce waste.

“By working together year after year, partners are delivering food to communities at a scale made possible through industry collaboration,” Hendricks said.