MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Gay Lea Foods Co-operative Limited has partnered with Second Harvest to address food insecurity and food waste.
As part of a three-year, $1.2 million charitable commitment, Gay Lea Foods will help Second Harvest recover and re-distribute surplus, nutritious food to communities in need. The partnership will provide the equivalent of 3.6 million meals to Canadians facing food insecurity across the country in the next 36 months.
“Gay Lea Foods has a long history of supporting Canadian communities, and we are proud to deepen our commitment through this transformative national partnership with Second Harvest,” says Suzanna Dalrymple, president & CEO, Gay Lea Foods. “Together, we can help put good food on more plates and reduce the amount of edible food ending up in landfills across our country.”
The partnership between Second Harvest and Gay Lea Foods began in 1997, when the co-operative first began providing surplus product for re-distribution as part of Second Harvest’s Food Rescue program.
“This expanded partnership with Gay Lea Foods shows just how much impact purpose-driven businesses can have,” says Lori Nikkel, CEO of Second Harvest. “By providing both funding and surplus product, Gay Lea Foods is helping us get nutritious, high-quality food — like dairy — into communities that really need it, while also keeping good food out of landfills.”
In addition to its financial contribution, Gay Lea Foods will send even more surplus product from production sites across Canada to non-profit organizations through Second Harvest.
