Latest news with #RachaelWilson
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Summer food drive returns as food insecurity in Ottawa keeps growing
A charitable effort to keep kids fed throughout the summer break is back, as the Ottawa Food Bank warns of startling levels of food insecurity in the city. Donations to this year's summer food drive, an annual event launched by Khalsa Aid Canada in 2023, totalled nearly 41,000 kilograms. The food was raised through a combination of school donation initiatives, contributions from local businesses and a bulk donation from Khalsa Aid Canada. "We know that many families are struggling right now," Ottawa Food Bank CEO Rachael Wilson said at an event Saturday where the final tally was revealed. "Our donations tend to go down in the summer, so when we know that this food is coming in, it makes a huge difference for our ability to support those kids." Many children depend on their breakfast program throughout the school year, Wilson noted, but that help isn't available to them during the summer vacation. Thirty-seven per cent of all food bank visitors in Ottawa are children, she said. While that number has held steady for years, overall demand is on the rise. Food bank usage in the city is up by 90 per cent since 2019, and the number of Ottawa households that struggle to afford food nearly doubled between 2022 and 2023. "Any donations that we receive make a huge difference," Wilson said. The Ottawa Food Bank has campaigned publicly for Ottawa to declare food insecurity a crisis, saying the declaration would help unlock financial investment from higher orders of government. Toronto and Mississauga, Ont., have both done so. In January, Kingston did the same. Other eastern Ontario municipalities have followed their lead, including Hawkesbury and Smiths Falls. Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, who attended the event Saturday, responded to a question about the city's lack of a formal declaration. "For me, it's not about a declaration or a statement — it's about action," he said in an interview. "We need to address the situation and we need to put our efforts behind it, and we'll work with the food bank and other partners in the community to do that." The Ottawa Food Bank is 98 per cent funded by the community, Wilson said. "We don't receive government funding, except for a little bit of city funding. And that just puts more pressure on everyone," she said. Thirty per cent of donations to the summer food drive are set aside for residents in Ottawa Community Housing (OCH), the city's largest social housing provider. "It's actually the number one thing that tenants are asking for our support with," said Traci Spour-Lafrance, executive director of the Ottawa Community Housing Foundation. "We are trying to ensure that they have food in their bellies, and that they can play and grow and enjoy their summer just like their friends." Although Spour-Lafrance is thrilled by the amount of food going to OCH residents, she said it isn't enough to meet demand. "This is one of the ways that we are trying to respond to that need," she said.
CBC
a day ago
- General
- CBC
Summer food drive returns as food insecurity in Ottawa keeps growing
A charitable effort to keep kids fed throughout the summer break is back, as the Ottawa Food Bank warns of startling levels of food insecurity in the city. Donations to this year's summer food drive, an annual event launched by Khalsa Aid Canada in 2023, totalled nearly 41,000 kilograms. The food was raised through a combination of school donation initiatives, contributions from local businesses and a bulk donation from Khalsa Aid Canada. "We know that many families are struggling right now," Ottawa Food Bank CEO Rachael Wilson said at an event Saturday where the final tally was revealed. "Our donations tend to go down in the summer, so when we know that this food is coming in, it makes a huge difference for our ability to support those kids." Many children depend on their breakfast program throughout the school year, Wilson noted, but that help isn't available to them during the summer vacation. Thirty-seven per cent of all food bank visitors in Ottawa are children, she said. While that number has held steady for years, overall demand is on the rise. Food bank usage in the city is up by 90 per cent since 2019, and the number of Ottawa households that struggle to afford food nearly doubled between 2022 and 2023. "Any donations that we receive make a huge difference," Wilson said. Food emergency The Ottawa Food Bank has campaigned publicly for Ottawa to declare food insecurity a crisis, saying the declaration would help unlock financial investment from higher orders of government. Toronto and Mississauga, Ont., have both done so. In January, Kingston did the same. Other eastern Ontario municipalities have followed their lead, including Hawkesbury and Smiths Falls. Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, who attended the event Saturday, responded to a question about the city's lack of a formal declaration. "For me, it's not about a declaration or a statement — it's about action," he said in an interview. "We need to address the situation and we need to put our efforts behind it, and we'll work with the food bank and other partners in the community to do that." The Ottawa Food Bank is 98 per cent funded by the community, Wilson said. "We don't receive government funding, except for a little bit of city funding. And that just puts more pressure on everyone," she said. Portion goes to OCH residents Thirty per cent of donations to the summer food drive are set aside for residents in Ottawa Community Housing (OCH), the city's largest social housing provider. "It's actually the number one thing that tenants are asking for our support with," said Traci Spour-Lafrance, executive director of the Ottawa Community Housing Foundation. "We are trying to ensure that they have food in their bellies, and that they can play and grow and enjoy their summer just like their friends." Although Spour-Lafrance is thrilled by the amount of food going to OCH residents, she said it isn't enough to meet demand. "This is one of the ways that we are trying to respond to that need," she said.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Yahoo
New nature reserve becomes wildlife haven
A stretch of land sandwiched between a motorway and an industrial estate has been transformed into a wildlife haven. The new Parson's Carr nature reserve, near the M18 in Doncaster, is a 104-hectare (256-acre) site of former arable land which has been turned into a mixture of wetland, grassland and a woodland mosaic. The project has been delivered by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and was funded by rail company LNER's customer and community investment fund. The East Coast Main Line passes nearby. The trust's reserve manager Sophie Pinder said urban sites made "a massive difference" to wildlife. "Parson's Carr is very much in an urban area, so the more space for nature that we can make in these areas, the more resilient they become," she said. "We've created a lot of different habitats and areas that people can enjoy in local urban green spaces as well." The new habitat features 650 metres of hedgerow, a new wildlife corridor and three new ponds alongside grassland and crops, which will support birds such as turtle doves, yellowhammers and grey partridges. The reserve is also being looked after by the trust's conservation cattle, which will create variation in vegetation height and open up areas of bare ground, giving a greater variety of wildflowers the opportunity to seed and germinate. Through the LNER funding, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust has been able to offer seasonal nature walks for visitors, as well as install benches and interpretation panels at the site, allowing more people to access the area. Rachael Wilson, community investment manager at LNER, said: "Parson's Carr is a remarkable site where, thanks to the hard work of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and their amazing volunteers, nature is thriving despite being hidden between two very urban landscapes. "The project's ambition to benefit both the environment and the local community echoes our own ambition to deliver positive and sustainable change across our business, benefiting the people and places we serve." The area was created as part of the nearby iPort logistics development, and the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust began managing the land in 2023, gradually opening it up to the public. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. Cows help bee orchids return to nature reserve Nature reserve saved from being built on Flooding minister hails reserve as 'win-win' Yorkshire Wildlife Trust LNER
