Local elected officials join chicken farmers for donation

OTTAWA, ON – December 22, 2020 – Hon. Mona Fortier, Minister of Middle Class Prosperity and Associate Minister of Finance (MP for Ottawa-Vanier), MPP John Fraser (Ottawa-South), and Councillor Jean Cloutier (Ward 18 – Alta Vista), joined Chicken Farmers of Canada (CFC) and Chicken Farmers of Ontario (CFO) to present a $5,000 cheque, plus an additional $5,000 in staff donations and to showcase the 2020 donations of nutritious, locally-grown chicken to the Ottawa Food Bank.

“Chicken is a protein-rich staple in households across the city,” said Rachael Wilson, Interim CEO for the Ottawa Food Bank. “The Ottawa Food Bank is committed to providing as much fresh food as we can. We are so grateful for the Chicken Farmers of Ontario and the Chicken Farmers of Canada who make it possible for us to provide this nutritious staple item to our member agencies and people in need in across the nation’s capital. The continued and on-going support of these organization and local farmers means so much to us and the community.”

This financial contribution builds on CFC’s donation of $20,000 provided in March to support the Ottawa Food Bank in assisting families in need during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through the Chicken Challenge Program – which secures product donations from a Canadian processor – as well as through staff donations and other programming, CFC’s contributions to the food bank have totaled over $600,000 since 2007.

“This year has been like no other, and it has been difficult for everyone. Canadian chicken farmers want to help where they can and Chicken Farmers of Canada continues to be proud partners and supporters of the Ottawa Food Bank,” said Benoît Fontaine, Chair of Chicken Farmers of Canada. “We believe that every Canadian should have access to a healthy source of protein, and we believe that we can make a contribution to help make that happen.”

In 2020, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chicken Farmers of Ontario have donated over 4000kgs of chicken to the Ottawa Food Bank, totaling 35,000 meals for families and individuals in need. Donations will continue into 2021.

The donation of chicken was made as part of the CFO Cares: Farmers to Food Banks program. Since 2015, the program has donated over 5 million meals of fresh, nutritious, locally-grown chicken to food banks across the province.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged how we interact and do business, but chicken farmers want Ontarians to know that it is still ‘Chicken As Usual’ when it comes to providing healthy, safe, locally-grown chicken for the public and food banks,” said Tim Klompmaker, Board Director of Chicken Farmers of Ontario for Eastern Ontario. “We know that the pandemic has increased pressure on local food banks, and Ontario chicken farmers are proud to support the Ottawa Food Bank, and food banks across the province to provide people in need with locally-grown chicken.”

CFO Cares: Farmers to Food Banks is a collaborative initiative, in partnership with Feed Ontario, that enables CFO farmers to donate up to 300 locally-grown chickens to food banks across the province. This year, 540 Ontario family chicken farms are participating in the program and donating nutritious, locally-grown chicken to Ontarians in need.

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Media Contacts:

Lauren Kennedy
Director, Public Affairs
Chicken Farmers of Canada 613.889.6938 | lkennedy@chicken.ca

Kathryn Goodish
Senior Director, Communications and Stakeholder Relations Chicken Farmers of Ontario
289.288.4201 | kathryn.goodish@ontariochicken.ca