Farm Credit Canada doubles Drive Away Hunger donations

Farm Credit Canada's Drive Away Hunger Campaign is attracting some high-profile support as part of their $1 million match program.

Arlene Dickinson, the CEO of Venture Communications, well known for her role on the Dragon's Den has joined the campaign to fight food insecurity in Canada.

Dickinson’s venture capital fund, District Ventures Capital, recently donated over $52,000 in food to Second Harvest Canada - a national food rescue organization.

That donation is now being matched by FCC’s $1 million match program in recognition of Drive Away Hunger’s 20th year.

Dickinson says over 6.9 million Canadians face food insecurity and we have a very productive agriculture and food industry that can help.

“I encourage producers and businesses, big or small, to donate food or money through Drive Away Hunger. This is a simple way to join an already impressive program that is coordinating food and money donations and directing them to food security agencies in need.”

FCC's CEO Justine Hendricks says the challenge of hunger is something we can address when we come together as business leaders, as an industry, and as people who care about doing the right thing.

Under the $1 million match program, agriculture and food companies are encouraged to donate to food security agencies, those donations are then matched by FCC until the end of this year.

Last year, the Drive Away Hunger campaign raised a record 40 million meals, this year FCC's goal is 60 million meals.

Food Banks Canada and Second Harvest Canada direct the funding to underserved rural and remote areas in need of support.