March 31, 2020, Toronto, Ont. – The Slaight Family Foundation is donating more than $3 million to four organizations all focused on food.
“The Slaight Family Foundation is pleased to lend support to these organizations that are providing the basic necessities of life to our most vulnerable populations during this terrible COVID-19 pandemic,” said Gary Slaight, president and CEO of the Foundation.
The donation brings together a number of local and national partners to tackle current challenges, from food banking to food rescue and breakfast programs where school closures are leaving many children with reduced access to food.
The four organizations are Breakfast Club of Canada, Daily Bread Food Bank, Food Banks Canada and Second Harvest.
“On behalf of Breakfast Club of Canada, I am so thankful to The Slaight Family Foundation and I am not at all surprised by their willingness to show up during such a challenging time,” said Daniel Germain, president-founder of the organization. “The Foundation has always risen up to the occasion and this time is no different.”
“The need has never been greater across the country,” said Neil Hetherington, CEO, Daily Bread Food Bank. “For decades the Slaight family name has been synonymous with philanthropic endeavors that have made the lives of hundreds of thousands of Canadians better. We at Daily Bread Food Bank are hopeful that many others across the country will follow the Slaight lead so the sting of poverty and hunger can be dulled.”
“This incredible gift will go directly to feeding those hardest hit by this pandemic,” said Chris Hatch, CEO, Food Banks Canada. “Words will not express our deep gratitude, but we can give our heartfelt thanks on behalf of people across every coast in Canada struggling with food insecurity.”
“As we work together in this crisis to make sure every Canadian has access to the food they need to stay healthy, we thank the Slaight Family Foundation for their incredible support,” said Lori Nikkel, CEO, Second Harvest. “This is an impossible task to do alone, and we are proud to be working with the Foundation and our partners to make sure Canadians everywhere have access to fresh, nutritious food.”
Food banks across Canada are severely impacted by COVID-19 and many have seen drastic reductions in their food recovery efforts as well as reductions in volunteers. Many food banks across the network only have food in stock to provide 10 to 14 days for existing food bank clients, let alone the anticipated rise in demand that will result from the economic impact of the COVID-19 for months to come.
The Slaight Family Foundation was established in 2008 by John Allan Slaight. He is known as Canada’s broadcast pioneer, music leader and a prominent Canadian philanthropist.
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