Regional Food Distribution Association accepts $850,000 for Building Hope Campaign
The Regional Food Distribution Association (RFDA) is closer than ever to achieving its fundraising goals for its Building Hope campaign.
The campaign is focused on significantly expanding the RFDA’s Thunder Bay location, as well as funding educational programs for nutrition and food preparation, and tackling the root causes of food insecurity.
The association operates across northwestern Ontario. Its Thunder Bay hub is meant to support the RFDA’s entire satellite network of food hubs, from urban centres to remote First Nations communities.
The donations to the RFDA come at a time when food bank usage is rising substantially: a new report from Feed Ontario says more than one million Ontarians used a food bank last year, a 13 percent increase from the previous year.
The RFDA’s donors include Barrick Mining, Ontario Power Generation, the Marostica Family, Synergy North, Jones Insurance, the Thunder Bay Community Foundation, and the Heart of Gold Fund.
The lion’s share of the funds are coming from the Fort William Rotary Club, which has pledged half a million dollars over five years to the campaign.
President-elect of the Rotary Club Stephen Margarit says the proceeds for the donation all come from the club’s annual house lottery.
“It’s not just about the money, it’s also about the impact on our community,” Margarit explains. “With the RFDA, the great thing is you’re not just supporting one organization, you’re supporting many organizations in our town, and their impact will help many of our friends and neighbours in our community.”