The Gift of Good Food surpasses $1,000,000 in all time donations!
>>Nada Saad
Fernwood NRG’s annual Gift of Good Food Fundraiser had yet another successful year! This year we reached our goal and raised over $159,000, which is supporting over 225 families with fresh fruits and vegetables for all of 2024. Along with being able to support so many families, we also surpassed $1,000,000 of total donations since the first fundraiser in 2015. We could have not done it without all the amazing community support, so thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
Each year, The Gift of Good Food raises funds to supports families facing food insecurities with year-long access to fresh fruits and vegetables. To do this, Fernwood NRG’s Good Food Box program bulk purchases fresh produce from local farmers and distributor, work with over 20 volunteers to pack and distribute Good Food Boxes. We partner with community centres, local First Nations, grassroots food justice and newcomer support organizations to reach their most vulnerable community members.
We would like to give a huge thank you to our 627 donors, 21 fundraising teams, and 17 partner organizations who helped us succeed our fundraising goal this year!
Thank you to the incredible team of volunteers that make The Gift of Good Food and Good Food Box program possible! They are a huge part in making our initiative successful, doing everything from packing the Good Food Boxes each week, delivering the bags to community members’ homes, putting Gift of Good Food posters up around Victoria to spread the work, to dropping donations letters off around the neighbourhood.
Thank you to our amazing fundraising teams: Orca Book Publishers, Sloo-Slunkers, Fernwood Community Association, Vic West Food Security Collective, Sandworms for Good Food, Food for Thought, Thurber Engineering, Handley/Good Family & Friends, Saanich Community Health Services, Rise Health, Fernwood Social Run Club, Seawitch Pinball Club, McShane-Robert Family For Fresh Food, Santa’s Surveyors, City Beets, The Inclusivity Elves, Sotheby’s International Realty, and Charcuterie Board (of Directors). All the hard work from these teams raised 26% of the total donations!!
A final thank you to all the businesses who contributed and raised donations this year! Thank you to Discovery Coffee, Goo-Goo Goggles, Hoyne Brewing and Cold Comfort for you fundraising initiatives and Metropol and Virgin Radio for being our sponsors! We also want to thank all 52 local businesses who donate items to our online auction!
Food insecurity has been a prominent issue for many years now, and the support we see from the community means so much to us; to be able to help families who need it receive fresh produce for the entire year. Thank you.
