WHO WE ARE

FEED NOVA SCOTIA is a provincial association that provides service at the local food bank level to Nova Scotians experiencing food insecurity.  Formed by Nova Scotia’s food banks, and resulting from the need for a provincial food collection and distribution centre, FEED NOVA SCOTIA collects and distributes food to approximately 150 Member Agencies across the province, including food banks, shelters, soup kitchens, breakfast programs, prepared meal services, and emergency food assistance programs. Help is needed year-round and we provide continuous support to our Member Agencies serving more than 40,000 Nova Scotians each month.

2007 – 2008 FEED NOVA SCOTIA FAST FACTS  

FEED NOVA SCOTIA distributes food to a network of approximately 150 Member Agencies province-wide.

Each month, more than 40,000 Nova Scotians rely on the food provided by local food banks and other food programs.

The average number of people using our Member Agency food banks each month was 18,417.  This figure is 12 per cent higher than ten years ago.  During the same time period, the average number of children benefitting from using food bank services each month was 6,372; however, this does not include children receiving food from shelters, meal programs, and drop-in centres.

Of those who used food banks in Nova Scotia in 2007-2008, 54% received social assistance, 10% represented the working poor, 13% received disability support, and 10% were pensioners.

FEED NOVA SCOTIA’s 600 volunteers contributed a total of 37,587 hours. That’s equivalent to 20 full-time staff positions.

FEED NOVA SCOTIA distributed 1.8-million kilograms of food
to hungry people throughout Nova Scotia.
The food was valued at $14.4-million.

Our phone helpline answered 11,772 calls, offering food assistance and other help with practical needs such as rent, power, housing, employment training, and emotional needs.

The Learning Kitchen, our culinary skills training program, graduated 18 students, giving them the opportunity to gain the skills they need to escape the vicious cycle of poverty and obtain employment in the food service industry.

FEED NOVA SCOTIA’s central warehouses and refrigerated units allow us to accept, store, and distribute donations of fresh meats, dairy products, fruits and vegetables, as well as non-perishable food.

FEED NOVA SCOTIA reclaims damaged or unmarketable food donated by grocery stores.  This food, which might otherwise go to waste, is sorted according to strict guidelines to ensure safety and quality, and is then redistributed to our Member Agencies.

FEED NOVA SCOTIA collects prepared food from hospitals, hotels, and nursing homes every day, and then distributes it to local shelters and soup kitchens.

FEED NOVA SCOTIA’s fleet of delivery vehicles distributed over 1.8 million kilograms of food across Nova Scotia last year, traveling 330,293 kilometres – the equivalent of driving from Halifax to Vancouver and back over 26 times.

No matter where in Nova Scotia a food drive takes place, the food is collected, sorted, and shipped out to all our Member Agencies according to the principle of ‘fair share.’  This principle ensures the equitable distribution of food donations to Member Agencies.

FEED NOVA SCOTIA is a member of Food Banks Canada, and helps distribute national donations throughout the Maritime Provinces.

More national hunger facts coming soon.

For more information, read our 2007-2008 Annual Report by clicking here .

HungerCount 2007 - Published by Food Banks Canada. HungerCount 2006 - Published by Food Banks Canada. HungerCount 2005 - Published by the Food Banks Canada. Download HungerCount - Nova Scotia Supplement 2005  Published by FEED NOVA SCOTIA