After the success of the partnership with Second Harvest and Hellmann’s Canada on Animal Crossings: New Horizons this summer, Hellmann’s launched Halloween Island in October … because there’s nothing scarier than food waste! There’s also nothing more adorable than this game, where players could dress up in virtual costumes representing scary food waste like Bruised Banana and Creepy Leftover Carrot. There were even rescued food recipes and instructions for real-world versions of the Halloween Island costumes.
The real-life generosity was also in play. Players dropped off their spoiled turnips to a special location, with every turnip providing the equivalent of a real meal to Second Harvest. In all, players donated 25,000 turnips, which will help us rescue and redistribute fresh, surplus food for 25,000 meals for people in need, thanks to Hellmann’s Canada. Talk about commitment!
To mark the successful launch of our online food waste reduction eLearning modules, Second Harvest welcomed members of the public to a virtual event, “Tackling Food Waste from Field to Fork.” More than 750 people attended via Zoom and Facebook Live to learn more about how to prevent food waste in their communities, at work and at home.
Want a chance to win our sustainable living zero waste gift box valued at $70? In a 15-30 second video, tell us one thing you learned from the event. Post your video on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook and tag @SecondHarvestCA. We will draw the winner on Friday, November 13!
In Part One, we shed light on the avoidable crisis of food waste in Canada, the 3 main causes of food waste across the food supply chain, and gave an overview of our eLearning modules. (Part 1 starts at: 10:07)
In Part Two, a panel of experts who have implemented innovative ways to reduce food waste in their businesses and communities gave their perspective on the barriers to food waste prevention, and opportunities for innovation. They also shared best practices for food waste reduction in our daily lives. (Part 2 starts at: 27:50)
1 lb chicken breast, cut into 1-inch strips 6 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepper, ground 3 tbsp cornstarch 1 cup vegetable oil 2 large onions, diced
3 celery stalks, sliced on an angle 2 carrots, cut in half moons 2 tbsp rice vinegar 1 cup red bell pepper, sliced 1 cup broccoli, cut into florets 2 cups pineapple chunks 1/2 cup hoisin sauce 1/2 cup chicken broth
PREPARATION
Toss the chicken pieces in garlic and ginger. Refrigerate for 3 to 6 hours.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine chicken, salt, and pepper.
Add cornstarch and coat evenly. Remove chicken and shake off excess cornstarch.
In a large skillet, medium-high heat, pan fry the chicken with oil until slightly brown and crispy.
Set chicken aside and remove oil, leaving 1 to 2 tbsp in pan.
With the remaining oil, sauté onions, celery, and carrots for 1 to 2 minutes while scraping up brown bits.
Deglaze with vinegar and cook for another 2 minutes.
Mix in peppers, broccoli and pineapple and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
Add hoisin and broth and bring to a simmer.
Return chicken to pan and simmer allowing sauce to thicken, 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and serve hot.
Tip: Serve over rice and garnish with sliced green onions.
Church of the Redeemer is committed to being with the poor at this very difficult time when so many support systems are being closed down. While practising the latest Public Health recommendations, they are offering breakfast and lunch to go at the main entrance of the church. In addition, teams are walking the streets in the church’s neighbourhood with hot and/or cold meals, toiletries and clothing items for those in need.
Church of the Redeemer
About Church of the Redeemer: The drop-in meal program at Church of the Redeemer is a safe and welcoming space where their community can feel valued and take steps towards healing and transformation. They cater to people who are experiencing homelessness and isolation, and who may struggle with mental health or addictions. Every day Church of the Redeemer serves hearty meals and offers counselling, health care, structured housing and legal support in addition to providing spaces for a productive lifestyle, such as a weekly art studio, book clubs and cooking classes.
Transporting millions of pounds of food across Canada is no easy feat. The logistics of ensuring that perishable items, such as produce and proteins, make it to their destination as quickly as possible are mind-bogglingly tricky.
Second Harvest extended its partnership with Uber Freight in late October 2020 and exponentially increased our ability to redistribute food to COVID-19-stricken communities across the country. Second Harvest is thrilled to have such a capable distribution partner. The team expects to reach three million pounds of food distributed to food shelters and charities across all provinces by the end of the year.
“Transportation is one of the greatest challenges of getting good healthy food to communities.” says Second Harvest CEO Lori Nikkel. “We are incredibly thankful for the partnership with Uber Freight which has enabled us to provide chicken, eggs, seafood, beef, vegetables and dry goods to remote and fly-in communities where food insecurity rates are among the highest.”
On the road to fighting food insecurity
The idyllic partnership started with a single project: moving donated potatoes from Toronto to Little Current, Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. This was a part of Uber Freight’s Move What Matters campaign. The successful collaboration resulted in 35 donated trips that brought over 1.7 million pounds of product to community hubs across Ontario and Alberta by the end of July.
As a result, Uber Freight recognized Second Harvest as the Community Champion, from 7,000 candidates. “Second Harvest was a standout for the selection committee in terms of the impact on community and partnership with Uber,” said Faye Pang, General Manager of Uber Freight Canada. “We feel grateful to have had the opportunity to do this important work with Second Harvest to help Canadians in need.”
The next time you stop at a Quesada Burritos & Tacos, you may notice Second Harvest featured on its Kindness Menu as a recipient for a portion of the proceeds from select menu items until Dec. 31, 2020. This month, the Canadian restaurant chain will also launch its Say Something Kind Campaign on @QuesadaBurritos where Canadians can say something nice about someone who could use a pick-me-up – and the joy a tasty, freshly made Mexican-inspired meal can bring.
Quesada was recently recognized as one of the top 400 fastest growing companies in Canada by the Globe and Mail Report on Business and has 145 locations nationally. The company will donate a percentage of sales from its Ancho Pork Burrito Bowl, Ground Beef Burrito and Churros to support Second Harvest to help combat food insecurity. In addition, employees and franchisees from coast to coast to coast are encouraged to get involved and give back locally to Second Harvest through food donations and rescue deliveries in communities across the country.
“Our Kindness Menu is dedicated to the collective power of paying it forward and what we can all do for each other, and our communities, when we come together,” said Steve Gill, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Quesada.
So, if you love mouth-watering Mexican burritos, tacos, and made from scratch salsas and sauces, visit Quesada and know you’re also helping spread kindness while enjoying a delicious meal at the same time.
Recent Comments