| |
Community RBQ Helps the Hungry
|
|
|
RBC employees host an "RBQ"
for Winnipeg Harvest to help alleviate hunger and raise
awareness about poverty. To recognize RBC's $10,000
contribution to the Food Distribution and Client Education
programs, Winnipeg Harvest displayed this "Fuelled
by RBC" logo on one of their delivery vans.
|
In the summer of 2005, RBC hosted an "RBQ" for
Winnipeg Harvest, a non-profit, community based organization
that collects and shares surplus food with people who are
hungry.
Based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Winnipeg Harvest collects surplus
food from food manufacturers and distributors, farmers and
gardeners, and distributes it to more than 300 outlets in
Winnipeg, and 16 food banks in rural Manitoba. The food is
then redistributed directly to residents of these communities.
In fact, fifty per cent of the staff at Winnipeg Harvest
are volunteers who access their services on a regular basis.
As a result, Winnipeg Harvest provides the Client Education
Program to these volunteers, providing them with training
to increase their employment skills and confidence. The goal
is to help them secure meaningful employment and eliminate
their need for a food bank.
Food distribution is very important at Winnipeg Harvest,
and staff work hard to ensure that their warehousing operations
can handle the volume in a safe and efficient manner. In 2004,
Winnipeg Harvest distributed approximately 8 million pounds
of food. Each month, it provided food to 36,871 people, of
which almost 50 per cent are children.
Winnipeg Harvest also depends on individual donations, food
drives, special events, such as the "RBQ." Guests
were invited to bring a non-perishable item of food or donate
$2 towards Winnipeg Harvest, and then could enjoy a lunch
of their own. The event raised $537.34, with five bins of
food collected.
In 2005, RBC, through its charitable foundation, donated
$10,000 towards the Food Distribution and Client Education
programs.
|
|
