Island Food Caring launches program to tackle food insecurities

Five local grocery stores and the Victoria Foundation are working together to tackle food insecurity within the Capital Region. The campaign, Island Food Caring, is targeted to feed 50,000 residents facing food insecurity.

“Over the years, this movement to help feed our most vulnerable residents has been growing and growing, and the partnerships and impact we’ve seen as a result are truly inspiring,” said Victoria Foundation CEO Sandra Richardson.

Sandra Richardson, CEO for the Victoria Foundation announces partnership with five #local grocers to launch the Island Food Caring Campaign against #hunger. pic.twitter.com/j6aNO9DecM

— Sarah Schuchard (@sarah_schuchard) February 27, 2020

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The Island Food Caring campaign will run in participating grocery stores throughout the capital region from Feb. 27 to March 22. People can donate at the till or via the program’s website. Funds raised go to The Mustard Seed and to support the Food Share Network.

The five participating grocery stores include Country Grocer, Fairway Market, Red Barn Market, The Root Cellar and Thrifty Foods. All participating grocery stores run their businesses locally.

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“The grocery business can be quite competitive, so it’s wonderful to be able to put that aside to come together for this important cause,” said Craig Cavin, Country Grocer South Island Director.

The campaign also welcomes the Greater Victoria Rotary Clubs as the campaign’s Volunteer Partner. The Greater Victoria Rotary Clubs have been a long-time supporter of the Food Rescue Project through raising funds and volunteerism.

sarah.schuchard@saanichnews.com