Feeding Those in Need in Canada
How Canadian non-profit Second Harvest partners with the Chick-fil-A Shared Table program to address hunger
No Waste. No Hunger. That’s the vision of Canadian non-profit Second Harvest, which aims to keep food on plates and out of landfills.
Hunger and food insecurity in Canada
According to the Canadian Public Health Organization, food bank use hit an all-time high during March 2022, with an estimated 16% of Canada’s population – or 5.8 million people across Canada’s provinces – living with inadequate access to food.
Nationwide issues like inflation and increasing costs of living also impact the severity of food insecurity across Canada.
“Food insecurity and climate change are growing pressures in Canada, and around the world,” says Winston Rosser, vice president of food rescue operations for Second Harvest. That’s why the nonprofit has engaged in the Chick-fil-A Shared Table program, which diverts surplus food from local Chick-fil-A restaurants to help feed Canadians in need.
How Second Harvest serves those in need
As the largest food rescue organization in Canada, Second Harvest aspires to keep food on plates and out of landfills.
“We’re laser focused on rescuing food across the supply chain, limiting the harmful effects of food waste on the environment and ensuring everyone has access to the food they need to thrive,” says Winston.
How Chick-fil-A does its part
One hundred percent of Chick-fil-A restaurants in Canada participate in the Chick-fil-A Shared Table program, teaming up with Second Harvest to make sure that extra chicken, eggs, biscuits, salads, fruit and other items can be redistributed to help combat hunger and food insecurity in local neighborhoods. Since 2019, food donated from Chick-fil-A restaurants through this program has helped create more than 91,000 meals for Canadians – and Second Harvest recently honored Chick-fil-A’s contributions at its second annual Food Rescue Awards in Ontario. And as the Chick-fil-A brand expands its footprint in Canada, that means even more food donations can be expected.
This effort also supports Chick-fil-A’s larger corporate social responsibility goal to divert more than 25 million pounds of food waste from landfills by 2025.
“Thanks to partnerships with businesses like Chick-fil-A, we’re able to rescue perfectly good, healthy, surplus food and redistribute it to non-profits all across Canada, every single day,” says Winston. “We’re working towards a future with no waste and no hunger, and this is only possible with strong partnerships and cross-sector collaboration. We’re very grateful for the support from the Chick-fil-A Shared Table program.”