Producers and cooperative donate turkeys to Manitoba food banks

June 26, 2020, Winnipeg, Man. – Manitoba Turkey Producers and Exceldor Cooperative have come together to donate $10,000 worth of turkey to the province’s South East Helping Hands food banks.

As the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to be felt, food insecurity remains high and the demands on local food banks has increased significantly. The South East Helping Hands Niverville location alone has seen an increase in demand of more than 50 per cent.

“Thousands of families across Manitoba have been affected greatly due to the pandemic, including those in our rural communities,” said Rachelle Brown, chair, Manitoba Turkey Producers. “We’re very excited to be partnering with Exceldor Cooperative and working with our farmers to be putting back locally produced turkey into our communities who need it most.”

The two organizations are together providing 576 whole frozen turkeys to the food banks, which each weigh between four and five kilograms. The turkeys were sourced from the Exceldor Cooperative plant in Blumenort, Man.

“In this time of uncertainty, it’s important for us to give back to our community,” said Rod Harder, general manager, Western operations at Exceldor. “We’re proud to partner with Manitoba Turkey Producers on their rural food banks initiative. We understand that many families across Manitoba have been greatly impacted by the pandemic and we want to ensure we are doing our part to help our community.”

The donation will be shared between the food bank’s three primary locations: South East Helping Hands, Niverville Helping Hands and Grunthal Caring Hands. The food banks serve a critical need in Manitoba by providing emergency supplies and food for more than 25 communities that have been impacted by the pandemic.

The announcement follows the mid-April launch of The Wishbone Project by the Turkey Farmers and Processors of Canada. The project is the organization’s national umbrella for giving through funds and food.

In addition to the donation to South East Helping Hands, Manitoba Turkey Producers has also donated $3,125 through The Wishbone Project to the Siloam Mission to support the work it’s doing to keep Manitobans in need fed.