Last week, the Ford government announced that Community Care of West Niagara would receive just shy of $100,000 in provincial funding to help support local food banks in Lincoln and across Niagara. The funding will go toward expanding food storage and coordinating local food distribution, in partnership with FEED Niagara.
The funding, some $98,700, will come through a seed grant of the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). The OTF is an agency of the government of Ontario and is one of Canada’s foremost community granting foundations, having invested $107 million in community projects across the province last year alone.
Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff commented on the funding announcement.
“I applaud our frontline food distribution coordinators and dedicated volunteers in Niagara West who work every day to fight hunger across our region,” said Oosterhoff. “This provincial seed grant from our government will help support important capital and equipment upgrades for Community Care of West Niagara and FEED Niagara.”
Community Care of West Niagara is a registered food bank with Feed Niagara and Feed Ontario and has been providing support to families and individuals in Lincoln since 1967. FEED Niagara is a relatively new organization, representing 10 regional foodbanks and coordinating local efforts to deliver care where it is most in need.
“Community Care of West Niagara has seen the benefit and positive impact that FEED Niagara has created for member food banks and the residents we serve through increased collaboration and partnership,” said Carole Fuhrer, Executive Director of Community Care of West Niagara. “I look forward to seeing how FEED Niagara will develop new opportunities and continue to make a positive impact in Niagara.”
David Vandersteen, Manager of FEED Niagara, weighed in on the funding announcement as well.
“This provincial grant comes at an important time for FEED Niagara,” said Vandersteen. “As we scale up our operations in Lincoln, the equipment provided by the Ontario Trillium Foundation allows us to bring significantly more capacity to our member food banks across Niagara. This means more food on more shelves helping more people every day.”
Lincoln Mayor Sandra Easton also commented on the funding announcement.
“We are proud to support Community Care of West Niagara through the use of a Town-owned facility that will help strengthen food security across our community and beyond,” said Easton. “This initiative is a powerful example of what can be achieved when municipalities and community partners work together by leveraging our local assets and collaborating through networks like feed Niagara.”
“Together, we are helping ensure families have more consistent access to the support they need,” added Easton. “Partnerships like this are essential to building a more resilient and compassionate community.”
Jay Goldberg is the Canadian Affairs Manager at the Consumer Choice Center. He previously served as the Ontario Director at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and a policy fellow at the Munk School of Public Policy and Global Affairs. Jay holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Toronto.
