Ottawa Food Bank

The Taggart Parkes Foundation is renewing its partnership with the Ottawa Food Bank to help distribute more healthy food to our neighbours in need.

Each month more than 37,500 people in Ottawa turn to a food bank for assistance. The Taggart Parkes Foundation is donating $20,000 over four years to provide new cold storage units for local food banks across Ottawa. This gift ensures larger amounts of fresh and healthy food like milk, eggs, fruit, vegetables, frozen fish, and meat can be distributed to people in Ottawa who struggle to afford these items on their own.

A new, commercial grade fridge and freezer at the Community Compassion Centre in Orleans was made possible through the continued partnership between the Taggart Parkes Foundation and the Ottawa Food Bank. It is one of eight new appliances that were purchased for five community food banks in Ottawa in 2019. Of the 5.5 million pounds of emergency food that the Ottawa Food Bank distributes to our community annually, 43% is fresh (fruit, vegetables, dairy, meat, and eggs).

Linda Shugart, Food Bank Coordinator at Pinecrest Terrace Community Food Bank says, “We were always short of fridge and freezer space, and this has helped tremendously to allow us to refrigerate more fresh produce. Now we can extend their life and preserve their quality by refrigerating them. It has been a real boost for staff and clients to have these new appliances… It’s been an encouragement to us all and a real reminder of the value of our caring community.”