Food Relief
Donna Bright
Food scarcity is a global problem. People around the world, including families here in Canada, do not have access to food on a reliable basis. Food insecurity is a result of many circumstances including: adverse climate conditions; mass migration of populations due to conflicts; or, from inadequate financial resources. While the Rotary Club of Ajax cannot provide permanent solutions to address food insecurity it can help to provide temporary relief to families through its programs and services.
Since 2014 the Rotary Club has partnered with Kids Against Hunger Canada, community volunteers, Forest Brook Community Church and the McEachnie Funeral Home to package 400,000 meals that have been distributed locally and internationally to countries including El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Peru, Honduras and Sierra Leone.
Each meal contains a full day’s nutrition for one person. The food ingredients include rice, fortified vegetable protein, dehydrated vegetables and a special blend of twenty one vitamins and minerals.
The Club has paid more than $100,000 to purchase the food supplies over the past 7 years and members have worked in tandem with hundreds of community volunteers to package the meals and ensure they are distributed.
Feed the Need Durham has been a local recipient of the meal packs which have then found their way into homes in the Durham Region.
