YWCA St. Thomas-Elgin to receive $20,000 for emergency food aid in the wake of COVID-19

April 15, 2020 

Good Food Access Fund Grant will give the YWCA St. Thomas-Elgin the opportunity to provide food security for women, men, and youth living in their Supportive Housing Programs.  Other individuals who will greatly benefit from this grant include, our Youth Homelessness Protocol and Youth in Transition clients.

The YWCA St. Thomas-Elgin is pleased to announce it has received a grant of $20,000 from Community Food Centres Canada’s Good Food Access Fund. The grant will enable the YWCA St. Thomas-Elgin to distribute food hampers, produce boxes, and gift cards to our clients in need during the next 2 months.  Funding is provided in part by the Government of Canada’s Local Food Infrastructure Fund, as part of the Food Policy for Canada. The Fund aims to strengthen food systems and facilitate access to safe and nutritious food for at-risk populations.

“The YWCA St. Thomas-Elgin is extremely grateful for the Good Food Access Fund Grant.  This grant will help us improve food security for the residents and clients as they lack the funds to stock up on food necessities or purchase fresh produce due to their low and fixed incomes” explains Jeannette Singh, Director of Housing.  “Many of our residents have pre-existing health conditions and do not have access to personal transportation to pick up groceries and simply cannot afford or have access to personal protective equipment. These are all barriers that threaten their food security during the COVID 19 pandemic.  While YWCA staff members continue to support our clients remotely, planned weekly food and gift card deliveries will greatly benefit our residents and help calm their anxieties.”

“Food insecurity was already an urgent problem before the COVID-19 crisis, with one in 8 Canadians struggling to put food on the table. In a time of national crisis, it is in our nature as Canadians to do what we can for our most vulnerable neighbours. We are grateful to the Government of Canada for their quick response, as well as the many corporate partners and generous donors who have stepped forward” says Nick Saul, CEO of Community Food Centres Canada. “The Good Food Access Fund aims to make sure that as many people as possible will be able to get the food that they need. And while we must deal with the current circumstances, CFCC remains committed to advancing policy change that addresses the underlying causes of food insecurity and poverty in Canada. We can’t forget that structural inequity is at the core of so many of the challenges that Canadians face, a fact which painfully confronts us when an emergency like this occurs.”

Good Food Access Fund logo

Community Food Centres Canada (CFCC) builds health, belonging and social justice in low-income communities through the power of food. We work with 13 Community Food Centres and 183 Good Food Organizations in 175 communities across Canada. Our Good Food Access Fund was established to provide emergency relief during this time of national crisis to our most vulnerable neighbours. Learn more at cfccanada.ca or follow @aplaceforfood

Media contact: Juniper Locilento, Chief Development & Communications Officer

416-576-2561 or juniper@cfccanada.ca

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