Rotary Clubs in Greater Victoria are joining forces with the Victoria Foundation and 11 local Thrifty Foods stores to bring one enormous food rescue project to life.
“Our aim is to provide funding for a major food recovery system that will see perishable food items move from grocery stores and other sources to the vulnerable populations in the CRD through the Food Share Network” said Lorna Curtis, Rotary assistant governor. “If we succeed, this same system could be implemented in other communities, and we know the need is there.”
The goal is to create infrastructure to move fresh produce quickly enough – while maintaining food-safe refrigeration levels at all points of travel and storage – so that it can be used safely and responsibly rather than go to waste. Rotarians for Food Rescue are hoping to raise $100,000 by selling raffle tickets ($5 each, or 3 for $10) toward the grand prize draw of a 2015 Nissan Rogue. All funds raised will be matched by the Victoria Foundation, said CEO Sandra Richardson.
Richardson said her organization has been working hard to identify gaps in the current food system and find solutions.
“We believe in collaboration to ensure that everyone in our community has access to affordable and nutritious food,” she said.
The Food Share Network, a collaborative effort between agencies seeking to address food insecurity in Greater Victoria, will divert perishables to a member agency that can immediately redirect the food to a food insecure family or individual.
Raffle tickets are available at rotaryraffle.ca as well as through a mobile ticket booth that will travel throughout the CRD until the grand prize draw on Aug. 9.
For the diversion of perishable foods to be successful, the produce will have to be collected daily and incorporated into the Food Share Network distribution system across the CRD.
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