CBC’s Sounds of the Season raises greater than $1 million for Ontario meals banks

CBC’s annual Sounds of the Season fundraiser for Ontario meals banks raised greater than one million {dollars} in 2022.

Of that whole, $836,913 was donated within the Higher Toronto Space whereas one other $188,890 was raised in Windsor, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Hamilton, Kingston, Sudbury and Thunder Bay.

This yr, on the twentieth anniversary of the fundraiser, Sounds of the Season additionally expanded its group actions with donation occasions in Toronto and Pickering and meals drives in communities throughout the GTA.

54 colleges and 43 neighbourhood teams participated within the meals drives, gathering 53 thousand kilos (or 24 thousand kilograms) of non-perishable meals.

“The facility of Sounds of the Season is that it reminds us of how a lot better we’re once we come collectively as a group,” stated Ruth Zowdu, Senior Managing Director of CBC Ontario.

“This yr, CBC audiences dug deep to present what they may to assist their neighbours put meals on the desk.  We’re so grateful for his or her generosity and the distinction every donation will make for somebody in Ontario,” stated Zowdu.

Meals banks throughout Ontario say the variety of folks utilizing their providers has grown dramatically for the reason that begin of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Toronto’s Each day Bread Meals Financial institution, one of many largest within the nation, used to see 60,000 month-to-month visits earlier than the pandemic.

It is now anticipating 250,000 visits every month by the center of 2023 as inflation and excessive rates of interest affect peoples’ capability to purchase their very own meals.

“Since 2021, the proportion of employed people who’re accessing meals banks has doubled from 16% to 33%,” stated Neil Hetherington, the CEO of the Each day Bread Meals Financial institution.

With the intention to meet the elevated demand, Hetherington stated the meals financial institution is now buying 10 occasions extra meals than it did previous to the pandemic.

“The help from CBC’s Sounds of the Season fundraiser is essential to serving to us meet this dramatic surge,” stated Hetherington.