The Unemployed Help Centre operates a food bank hub and food rescue program called Plentiful Harvest. The program (1) uses a refrigerated truck to collect fresh produce donations, (2) distributes the food to neighborhoods using a mobile food bank, and (3) operates a community garden and kitchen. It has rescued over 1.7 million pounds of food since 2012. The kitchen prepares meals for seniors and students. The program aims to reduce food waste and increase access to nutritious foods.

1. Food Rescue Program
Food For Thought !

2. The Unemployed Help Centre has operated as a
Food Bank Hub since 19771977 in Windsor and
Essex County with great success

3. Besides the services we offer to Windsor and Essex County
residents we are also the hub of the Windsor Essex Food bank
Association. We work very hard to keep the shelves full
But there is always more that can be done……..

4. So, a dedicated group of people with a common goal
met to address the nutritional needs of the community
From this came the idea for Plentiful Harvest……..

5.  The Food Rescue Program consists of three key strategies and
resources which allowed us to establish a comprehensive
program to rescue large quantities of food (fresh/prepared) to
package, distribute, feed, educate, and make more accessible
food resources to individuals/families in need and enhance
food security.
WHAT IS PLENTIFUL HARVEST?

6. 1. 26’ Refrigerated Truck/Food Rescue
2. Mobile Food Bank/Community Garden
3. State of the Art Community Kitchen
STRATEGIES

7. First
We secured a 26’ Refrigerated Truck with support from
Russell A. FarrowRussell A. Farrow and
The United Way’sUnited Way’s Major Gifts Program
This allowed us to gather fresh produce around the county……

8. Next
Through our Mobile Food BankMobile Food Bank
we could distribute fresh produce
to disadvantaged neighourhoods
Our truck is always a welcome sight…………….

9. Our Community Garden, helping our clients grow
their own produce
Our garden also grows smiles………

10. Our Community Garden provides 144144 plots
free to our clients
fondly named after two of our founding members

11. Finally
We had a very ambitious plan for our Community Kitchen
Thanks to our community partners, it became a
reality….

12. Our Community Partners

13.  The mission of the UHC Food Rescue Program is to reduce
hunger by rescuing large quantities of food; fresh and
prepared for packaging and distribution to the hungry of our
community.
OUR MISSION

14.  Increased quantity of food available for distribution
 Increased nutritional quality of food for distribution
 Equitable distribution of food across Windsor Essex County
 To rescue food that would otherwise be wasted
 To repackage food proportionally for distribution
 To provide nutritious foods for hungry people through social
agencies
 To produce nutritious meals for hungry people
 To preserve nutritious food for future distribution
 To support knowledge and understanding of healthy eating
through workshops, and demonstrations.
GOALS OF THE PROJECT

15. Natrel
Nature Fresh Farms
Nickles Orchard
Policella Farms
Public
Royal Foods LTD.
Salvation Army
Serkka Farms
St. Andrews Garden
Sun Parlour Greenhouse Growers
Sun-Brite Foods INC.
Sunquest Farms
Target
Topline Farms
Van Kampen Farms
WalMart
Windsor Salt
Wright Land Farms
Adamson's Farms
Bedells
Bonduelle Ontario INC
Caboto Club
Cavendish Farms
Clifford Produce
CNR
Dainty's Rice
Tinjen Farms
DT Enterprise Farms
Fogolar Furlan Windsor
Jem D Farms
Joe Colosantis Farms
Lafferty Farms
Lakeshore Veggie
Lee and Marias Market
M&M Meats
Meleg's Lakeview Orchard
Mucci Farms
Food Donors/Community Partners

16. 1,700,000 lbs of Food Rescued since June of 2012 and distributed
equitably to sixteen area food bank, over 50 community agencies,
after school programs and summer programs.
RESCUED FOOD

17. With the Windsor and Essex County District
School Board we began training Grade twelve
students in the culinary arts
The students have learned a great deal from Chef
Robert…

18. We began a very successful partnership with the
Victorian Order of Nurses
Chef Robert and VON’s Stephanie Segave
enjoy fresh produce

19. With the VON our students prepare over fifty
thousand healthy meals, that are sent out daily to
hundreds seniors in our community
After school meals are also prepared for Windsor and Essex
County Schools…

20. The VON Student Nutrition Program provides 26002600
healthy after school snacks each month
All prepared in our state-of-the-art kitchen…

21. Current SNP Model
• Schools apply for funding
• VON flows limited grant money to individual
schools
• Volunteers (i.e. parents, principals, teachers)
purchase food at traditional retail outlets (i.e.
grocery stores)

22. Current SNP Model Cont’d
• When purchasing food for SNP, nutritional
guidelines are to be followed, as well as a
strict budget and time often become an issue
• Additional Funds - programs also rely heavily
on donations from parents, local fundraising,
and community partners.
• Accountability - Schools are required to keep
detailed records of program service and
financial data on the online data system.

23. Goals and Objectives of Central
Procurement Pilot
• 1.) Reduce challenges
associated with the
current service delivery
model for school
nutrition programs
• Examples - limited
volunteer, program
quality/accountability,
limited resources, etc.
2.) Research & evaluation
opportunities to build
evidence to inform the
evolution of the
regional & local service
delivery model
• Examples – youth
engagement, student
successes and learning,
health promotion and
dietary changes, etc.

24. Goals and Objectives of Central
Procurement Pilot Cont’d
• 3.) Acts as a catalyst for
local food movement
and related
opportunities for
community
development
• Example – provide
market opportunities
for local farmers,
provide New Canadians
meaningful volunteer
opportunities, etc
4.) Promote opportunities
for youth engagement
whereby local youth for
example can:
• take leadership roles in
preparing, packing and
coordinating delivery of
food
• access to healthy meals
to bring home and
share with their

25. Central Procurement:
Farm to School Strategy
• Launched in February of 2013
• 14 week pilot – 2 days/week, 114
classrooms, 6 schools (3 city & 3
county schools)
• Each snack would include: a fresh
fruit or vegetable and an additional
food group
• Partnered with Unemployed Help
Centre in Windsor, Plentiful Harvest
and The Greater Windsor Essex
District School Board
• This pilot is the first central
procurement strategy where we are
preparing and packaging food for
local SNP’s
• Budget - $20,000

26. Sample Menu
Week Tuesday’s Snack Thursday’s Snack
Week 1 Carrots & Granola Pucks Cucumbers & Spinach Muffins
Week 2 Oranges & Cheese Oranges & Cereal
Week 3 Pickles & Goldfish Apples & Brenton Crackers
Week 4 Baby Carrots & Cheerios Banana & Wise Crackers
Week 5 Cucumbers & Spinach Muffins Clementine & Triscuits
Week 6 Cherry Tomatoes & Popcorn Peppers & Goldfish
Week 7 Strawberries & Pita Bites Watermelon & Naan Thins
Week 8 Oranges & Cheese Veggie Pizza Rolls
Week 9 Bananas & Cheerios Baby Carrots & Bannock
Week 10 Strawberries & Baked Flatbread Cucumbers & Cheese
Week 11 Oranges & Pita Bites Mexican Tortillas
Week 12 No Delivery – Holiday Monday Strawberries & Yogurt
Week 13 Mini Cucumbers & Brenton Crackers Vegetable Sushi
Week 14 Strawberries & Trail Mix Pears & Spinach Muffins

27. Bulk Purchasing

28. Food Preparation

31. Storage

33. Delivery

35. Conclusion of Central Procurement
Pilot
Average food cost to provide a healthy snack to
one student in the south west:
Formula: (0.14/snack) x 190 days of
school year = $28.
Using central procurement delivery model (F2S
Model):
Formula: (0.25/snack) x 190 days of
school year = $48

37. Next Steps…
EXPANSION
into OTHER
REGIONS

38. Steps in getting started
1.) Written permission from
school board(s),
partnerships, etc for the
approval of the scope for
the program and to begin
the planning process.
3.) Meet with the planning
committee and brainstorm:
timeline, facilities, who the
volunteers would be, what
the scope of the project
would be, etc.
2.) Select a planning
committee – School boards,
health unit, contacts at
schools, members from the
community, etc.
4.) Apply for funding.

39. Social Enterprise
VON transferred their Meals on Wheels
program contract to The Community Kitchen
Program at UHC in 2013.
This social enterprise reduced the per meal
cost by $3/unit. 200 meals are produced per
day. This provides nearly $600 profit daily that
is reinvested into the production of additional
meals for social programs.

40. Building Partnerships
• Provincial Student Nutrition Programs
• Government (Education, Health, OMAF,
MCYS)
• Private Sector (producers, growers,
distributors, marketing boards and corporate
sponsors)
• Funders
• Research

41. Our efforts have been rewarded
with many awards, including
Ontario Food Banks ‘Innovator of the Year’

42. The Victorian Order of Nurses
‘Award of Excellence 2013’
to Chef Robert Catherine

43. The Windsor and Essex
County
District School Board’s
CHAMPIONS OFCHAMPIONS OF
EDUCATION AWARDEDUCATION AWARD

44. We owe our success to the hard work of our staff,
students and volunteers
And to the tremendous support we receive from the
community.

45. THE FARMERSTHE FARMERS
GIVING BACKGIVING BACK

47. Ontario Student Nutrition Program
Contact