Summer truck shipments to feed children in need
Trucks for Change, the Canadian Trucking Alliance’s Blue Ribbon Task Force, and Food Banks Canada are joining forces in a campaign to deliver food for children in need this summer.
About two dozen fleets working for the alliance are now handling shipments for After Food Bell, a program organized by Food Banks Canada that addresses immediate hunger needs but also builds nutritional literacy skills.
The program provides “summer packs” of food to children who typically rely on school breakfast and lunch programs, delivering support after classes come to an end in June.
Twenty-five carriers have committed to moving 51 shipments that include a collective 65,000 food packs this summer.
“Considering all the challenges Canadians have faced throughout the last year, our involvement in this program couldn’t have come at a better time and I’m proud of how the trucking industry always steps up to the plate,” said Scott Smith, chairman of Trucks for Change and president of JD Smith & Sons.
The first shipments began to roll this week from Brampton, Ont. to La Pocatière and Mont-Joli, Que. Deliveries originating from Prince George, B.C. and Calgary will begin next week, while most of the shipments to 21 Ontario food banks will begin in June.
“With the trucking industry well-positioned to sustain the positive image it has gained as a result of its efforts delivering critical supplies during the Covid-19 pandemic, carriers have now expanded their focus on supporting Canadians in need,” said Doug Sutherland, chairman of CTA’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on the Driver Shortage and president of Sutco Transportation Specialists.
“Our industry was so overwhelmed by all the kind words and encouragement truck drivers, specifically, have been showered with over the last year, that it feels good knowing our industry always stands ready to give back.”
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Truckers kept us all with what we needed during covid as they usually do. Imagine the doors closed or limits at food stores,pharmacy, beer store, liquor store, well that is where we would be without those trucks on the road. No Amazon on line orders as their shelves would be bare as well. They crossed borders and put their lives at risk for us. Remember how restaurants and washrooms were closed to them and still they continued to meet the challenges. A big thank you to all drivers for helping to keep us fed and safe. It is greatly appreciated!
Very good idea. Many people that poor or homeless have gout in Ontario because of no food budget for some of the homeless shelters for the past 17 months.