DFO Increases Monthly Milk Donation to Ontario Food Banks Over the Christmas Holidays
By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com
When we think of people or organizations donating to the food banks, we don’t often hear about it being farmers and those in the agriculture industry. With the holiday season upon us, the Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) recognizes the importance of giving back to food banks across the province. DFO has announced that it plans to increase its donations of milk by 150 per cent to the Ontario Association of Food Banks (OAFB) through the months of December and January.
"We recognize the real need in the community to help those who struggle to provide their families with nutritious food, especially at this time of year," explains Bill Emmott, DFO Chair. "It's crucial for industry to step up. This is our way of giving back to Ontario and the people of our province during the holiday season."
The DFO has pledged to donate an additional 160,000 litres of milk for the months of December and January as well as continue with its monthly donation of 65,000 litres. It’s incredible to think that Ontario’s dairy farmers are the single largest donor to the OAFB – donating close to one million liters of milk every year.
“Hunger and access to fresh, nutritious food continues to be a problem in Canada," says Amanda King, Associate Manager, Fundraising, Membership, and Communications at the OAFB. "DFO has always been one of the biggest supporters of the food bank program, and with this additional donation we will be able to serve thousands more families in need during this busy season."
The annual Hunger Report released by OAFB indicates that 412, 998 families in Ontario access food banks every month.