Friends of the Clearview EcoPark and The For Good Foundation made their first delivery to the Clearview-Stayner Food Bank on Oct. 17. The delivery included cases of tuna, hundreds of jars of peanut butter and pasta sauce.
The partnership is part of a pilot project to expand the For Good Foundation’s reach into small rural communities.
Friends of the EcoPark volunteer Lisa Howarth said the partnership resulted from a catch-up with an old friend who was volunteering with the For Good Foundation.
Howarth told her about the EcoPark community’s garden mission to supply the Clearview-Stayner Food Bank with fresh produce during the gardening season. Over eight weeks twice weekly deliveries of produce and berries are made to the food bank in an effort to take action against food insecurity.
Annual fundraising goes to purchasing plants and fruit trees for the garden as volunteers plan to increase supply as the trees mature.
The new partnership will see expanded support for the food bank during the community garden’s off season.
The For Good Foundation turns surplus crops into branded food products, made available to food banks, shelters and missions free, or at 25-60 per cent less than at retail or wholesale prices, allowing food banks to get more bang for their buck.
The For Good Foundation is founded by former French’s Food president Elliott Penner after he discovered that Food Banks Canada used $27 million of its cash donations to purchase food from retailers and wholesalers.
Donations to the Clearview-Stayner Food Bank will continue as products are available.
Contributed photo: The For Good Foundation (TFGF) and Friends of the EcoPark present a donation to Clearview-Stayner Food Bank volunteers on Oct. 17. From left: June Robinson, Kathleen Murphy (TFGF), Pam Royal, Elaine Lightheart, Lisa Howarth (FoEP), Barb Harvey and Carol Vaughan (FoEP).