United Way Fresh For All Program Re-Launches Thanks to Generous Donations

United Way Hastings Prince Edward are proud to announce a re-launch of the Fresh for All program following a one-year hiatus. The decision was made possible with the help of a generous donation from HEXO Corp, an award-winning consumer packaged goods cannabis company building a processing facility in Belleville, ON.

The Fresh for All initiative supports 27 local Food Banks and Food Programs by encouraging residents in the community to contribute much-needed fresh vegetables and fruits to food banks and meal programs within Hastings and Prince Edward counties.

“Our company is committed to supporting organizations that secure access to healthy food for Canadians,” said Terry Lake, HEXO’s Vice-President of Corporate and Social Responsibility. “Partnering with United Way Hastings Prince Edward to encourage local residents to provide fresh produce for community use builds on our previous commitments in the Ottawa-Gatineau region with local food banks and is an initiative we are proud to be a part of.”
The Fresh for All program was created by a network of service providers, businesses and local gardeners in 2015 to increase access to nutritious, healthy food for those whose food budget doesn’t allow for fresh produce. “Local individuals and families donated significant amounts of fresh produce from their gardens to food banks and food programs in those inaugural years,” said Brandi Hodge, Executive Director of United Way Hastings Prince Edward. ”we saw the impact the program had on the community, so when the committee was looking for a permanent home for the program, United Way HPE offered to bring it under our umbrella to ensure it`s sustainability long term”.

The Fresh for all program is a simple marketing campaign driving individuals to the www.freshforall.ca website. On the website gardeners can search for food banks and food programs within their community that are able to receive donations of fresh produce. “Food banks and food programs want fresh food, but we tend to think they can only receive non-perishable food items, and that’s just not the case” said Hodge. In order to get the word out broadly to the community, United Way HPE utilizes billboards, posters, social media, the website and signage. “the cost of a marketing campaign like that can be prohibitive for organizations like ours, so it’s vital that we have corporate partners who understand the mandate of the program and want to partner with us to create a stronger, healthier community. Hexo Corp and THEY who built the initial website, generously donated to the program allowing for a broader communication strategy and greater impact for the community”.

To learn more, please visit freshforall.ca

For more information about Hexo Corp please visit hexocorp.com.