At a time when food bank usage is unprecedentedly high, food and monetary donations have become a lifeline for food banks across the region. Three thousand butterball turkeys were donated to Feed the Need in Durham as part of the company’s annual goal of donating 17,000 servings of turkey across the country.
“Every year Butterball Canada is proud to donate to food banks all over Ontario,” Chef Shahir Massoud said. “We actually donate 17,000 servings of turkey across the country, 8,000 in the province, and this year we chose Feed the Need Durham.”
Eight thousand turkeys will go to Feed Ontario, which includes Feed the Need.
“In Durham Region, we’ve seen a 53 per cent rise in visits to food banks, and we are seeing over 205,000 visits a year to food banks across our region, and that’s an unprecedented number for us,” said Ben Earle, CEO of Feed the Need in Durham. “So any donation, especially during this time of season, during the holidays so people can make sure to have holiday meals, is appreciated and so needed.”
The 2023 Hunger Report by Feed the Need Durham reports more than 205,000 visits to food banks in the region, and one-quarter of those clients were first-time users. The increase has impacted those trying to meet the need, coupled with higher food prices at the grocery store and dwindling donations.
According to the report, over 800,000 people in the province used a food bank.
Earle said food bank usage across the region was at more than 200,000 visits between 2020 and 2022, and that number has since doubled.
The hope is that these turkeys will go to local families in the region in need, to have a chance to eat a nourishing meal this holiday season.