Canadian Hatching Egg Producers announces Donation to Food Banks Canada to help with COVID-19 response

OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 4, 2021 /CNW/ - Today the Canadian Hatching Egg Producers (CHEP) announced a $50,000 donation to Food Banks Canada to support food banks across Canada. This donation follows an initial $20,000 donation CHEP made in 2020 to support food banks amid COVID-19 pandemic response efforts across Canada.

Canada's hatching egg farmers produce high quality eggs that are hatched to be grown for chicken and are a critical component of Canada's food supply chain. At a time when many Canadians have reinvigorated their interest in food and cooking, not all individuals and families have met their food needs due to loss in income, poor health or other reasons. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant and detrimental impact on many Canadians, food banks across the country have been put under pressure while their operational capacity has been strained. We now know that the impacts of the pandemic will continue to be felt far longer than initially forecasted and food insecurity will remain a challenge for many families.   

"The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the lives of all Canadians, especially some of our most vulnerable communities'' said Brian Bilkes, Chair of CHEP and a hatching egg farmer in Saskatchewan. "We all must do our part to make sure that those in greatest need get the support and assistance to overcome these challenging times. CHEP is very proud to continue to play an important role in supporting our communities across Canada."  

"Chicken protein is highly valued by food banks across the food bank network." says Tania Little, Chief Development and Partnerships Officer, Food Banks Canada. "We are thankful for this dedicated donation."

This funding will allow the food bank network to provide additional high quality, nutritious food assistance in the communities that need it most. As an integral component of Canada's sustainable approach to producing chicken, Canada's hatching egg farmers are proud of the work they do on a daily basis and their strong commitments to food safety and animal care. This represents a small but critical step in supporting Canadians as the pandemic drags on. 

About Canadian Hatching Egg producers

Canadian Hatching Egg Producers is a national organization that represents 225 producers from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. Our mission as an organization is to continue to grow a sustainable and profitable broiler hatching egg industry in Canada to ensure a strong, efficient and competitive industry that creates a dependable supply of quality broiler hatching eggs to Canadian chicken producers.

About Food Banks Canada

Food Banks Canada provides national leadership to relieve hunger today and prevent hunger tomorrow in collaboration with the food bank network from coast-to-coast-to-coast. For 40 years, food banks have been dedicated to helping Canadians living with food insecurity. Over 3,000 food banks and community agencies come together to serve our most vulnerable neighbours who – last year – made 1.1 million visits to these organizations in one month alone, according to our HungerCount report. Since 2010, as a system we've sourced and shared almost 1.5 billion pounds of food and Food Banks Canada shared over $100 million in funding to help maximize collective impact and strengthen local capacity – while advocating for reducing the need for food banks. Our vision is clear: create a Canada where no one goes hungry.

SOURCE Canadian Hatching Egg Producers

Visit http://www.foodbankscanada.ca/ to learn more.