On Wednesday, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Marie-Claude Bibeau announced a $100-million top-up for the Emergency Food Security Fund (EFSF).
"The COVID-19 pandemic has meant even greater uncertainty for Canadians who are unsure of where they will find their next meal," said Bibeau. "Even with the important benefits our Government put in place to support those who lost their incomes, our food banks and local food organizations have seen a spike in demand. As we work to finish the fight against COVID-19, the Government of Canada is providing another $100 million in emergency assistance, in addition to the $200 million already allocated to these organizations over the past year, so they can continue helping vulnerable Canadians.”
The new funding will be divided between Food Banks Canada, Second Harvest, Community Food Centres Canada, Breakfast Club of Canada, Salvation Army, and La Tablée des Chefs, who in turn will distribute it to thousands of local food banks across Canada. Local organizations will use the funding to purchase and distribute food and other basic necessities to meet the emergency needs of the most vulnerable people. They may also hire temporary help to cope with volunteer shortages and adapt operations to help keep workers, volunteers and recipients safe.
Each organization will dedicate a portion of its funding to projects that directly support underrepresented groups. So far, the Emergency Food Security Fund has supported more than 4,700 local food initiatives across Canada, with over 1,050 initiatives directly supporting Indigenous organizations and communities.
One in seven Canadians lives in a household where there was food insecurity over a one-month period during the COVID-19 pandemic.
First announced in April 2020, the Emergency Food Security Fund provides funding to national and regional organizations, which in turn support food banks and local food organizations across Canada, to help improve access to food for people experiencing food insecurity due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On October 9, 2020, the Government of Canada announced an additional $100 million for the EFSF to further support food security, including $30 million to help improve access to food and increase food supply for Indigenous communities.
The $100-million top-up announced Wednesday will be allocated to the following organizations:
- $25.84 million to Food Banks Canada
- $25 million to Breakfast Club of Canada
- $25 million to Second Harvest
- $15 million to Community Food Centres Canada
- $8.16 million to Salvation Army
- $1 million to La Tablée des Chefs
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