In February, Second Harvest held the inaugural Food Rescue Awards. It was an opportunity to celebrate all the groups and individuals that have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to rescuing surplus edible food in Canada. We received numerous nominations across eight categories and were honoured to award McCain, a long-time partner, with the first Second Harvest Value Award. Their significant food and financial donations and volunteer commitments embody our four core values: community, environment, integrity and collaboration.
McCain started as a food donor in 2005. Two years later, they deepened their commitment to raise funds for Second Harvest’s local programs. The company has always been a steadfast supporter of our vision of No Waste. No Hunger, which aligns with one of their key sustainability pillars: Thriving Communities. In 2021, Second Harvest became McCain’s national charity partner.
McCain continued to make great strides in keeping good food out of landfills in the second year of our national partnership. Together we rescued and delivered 440,686 pounds of surplus edible food to 21 non-profits across Canada between July 2022 and April 2023. That’s the equivalent of 2,284,049 pounds of greenhouse gases averted from entering the atmosphere!
Following the success of Turn the Tables on Hunger in 2022, McCain ran the campaign again this year. It raised $125,000, which will help us provide more than 300,000 meals to people in need! McCain employees supported the Second Harvest annual Hero sweepstakes and raised enough funds to provide an additional 1,400 meals for people experiencing food insecurity.
“The work Second Harvest are doing to combat food insecurity in Canada is truly inspirational,” said Audrey Leduc, Director Planet-Friendly Practices, McCain Foods. “Here at McCain, we are extremely proud of our partnership. We look forward to many more years of helping rescue food and getting it onto the plates of people who need it the most.”
We’re also grateful for McCain’s employee volunteer initiative, Chips-In. This enables every staff member to take a paid day off to volunteer and support the community. During national volunteer week in April, our headquarters was buzzing with activity. We welcomed 78 McCain employees, who spent a total of 156 hours sorting through 10,070 pounds of food for delivery to our non-profit partners. In the coming months, the team will support children and youth across Toronto through our Feeding Our Future program. They’ll pack lunches with sandwiches and snacks and decorate inspiring lunch notes for kids attending summer camps.
“It’s so rewarding to work at a company that prioritizes giving back to the community and volunteering,” said Stephanie Ruggieri, Nutritionist, McCain Foods. “It makes me so proud to work at McCain! Helping those in need energizes me. It has been so fantastic to volunteer with Second Harvest and be a small part of the solution on improving access to healthy, nutritious food in the community.”
It’s been an honour to work with McCain on their commitment towards a thriving community and sustainable planet. We look forward to making a larger impact together in the years to come.
