Sobeys to make weekly food donations to P.E.I. food banks
Food bank manager says new distribution should be ready in a month
Food banks across Prince Edward Island will get some extra help each week from Sobeys stores.
"Sobeys has been a big contributor to us over the years and they're really expanding on what they've done in the past," said Mike MacDonald, manager of the Upper Room Food Bank.
Each week, five Sobeys stores will donate hygiene products as well as food nearing the end of its shelf life to local food banks.
The products being donated will be near or in some cases past the best before date, but still safe to consume.
"It's going to open avenues of different types of food that we can receive or will receive on a regular basis," said MacDonald.
Dairy, meat donations will become regular staples
MacDonald said the food banks will now get donations of dairy products and meats, something they may have received infrequently in the past.
"This should give us a supply of this type of product year-round."
MacDonald said donated meats will be frozen before they reach the best before dates.
"Both ourselves and Sobeys are very conscious of the health and safety and the last thing we want to do is for one of our clients to get sick,"
The program is underway in Nova Scotia, and was announced in New Brunswick earlier this week where MacDonald said it is going well.
MacDonald said the logistics of distributing the products is being ironed out.
"We are open three days a weeks for people to come by and we'll work out with the stores when we can pick it up and then of course the best distribution times."
MacDonald said he hopes to have things ready to go in a month. He added the Upper Room Food Bank serves an average of 500 families a month and will see an increase in September.
With files from Island Morning