The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) is giving $15,000 to continue its support of Roots to Harvest, a not-for-profit organization in Thunder Bay, Ontario, that is providing emergency food access during the global pandemic to families with children, seniors, and people who use daily emergency meal programs.
The NWMO’s initial donation of $15,000 was made in June 2020, and Roots to Harvest used those funds to provide more than 11,000 nutritious meals to seniors impacted by poverty and COVID-19.
“This funding from the NWMO allowed Roots to Harvest to act quickly at a time when food insecurity and uncertainty is increasing because of the pandemic,” said Erin Beagle, Executive Director of Roots to Harvest. “With this renewed support, we will be able to sustain this response, ensuring that access to good, healthy food is available through the coldest part of winter. We are incredibly thankful to the NWMO for their recognition that COVID-19 affects populations disproportionately and for their commitment to community level responses in Northwestern Ontario.”
Roots to Harvest uses food as a tool to connect people and build belonging and dignity through meaningful programs, initiatives and advocacy.
“Many people in Northwestern Ontario are struggling due to pressures that have arisen in the face of the pandemic,” said Norman Sandberg, Relationship Manager with the NWMO. “Having healthy, abundant and easy access to food during this stressful time ensures hunger doesn’t have to be one of the many uncertainties that people are facing right now.”
This most recent contribution is part of the NWMO’s wider response to the global COVID-19 pandemic by supporting municipal and Indigenous communities involved in the site selection process and potential siting regions.
Recently, the NWMO made a one-time contribution of $50,000 to the Northwestern Health Unit to reach those most in need at this difficult time. The NWMO has also supported the Kenora District Municipal Association to help the organization establish reliable and secure communications between communities in the region during these difficult times. To help organizations obtain facemasks and hand sanitizer, the NWMO donated $15,000 to the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce, who helped distribute these items to small businesses and other organizations. The NWMO also made a one-time investment of $2,500 to Thunder Bay’s Regional Food Distribution Association to purchase nutritious food for vulnerable groups.