Province expands food card giveaway

Madeleine Meilleur, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services

The province is adding two more days where residents can get as much as $100 in free food gift cards. The cards, for people who lost food because of last week’s ice storm, will be handed out in the Toronto area.

Today the program saw a giveaway that fell short of meeting demand, with some locations running out of cards within 30 minutes of opening.

c, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services, said today more cards will be issued on Friday and Saturday. “Through the action of generous corporate partners, more than $160,000 in gift cards has so-far been distributed in Toronto to those who lost food in the aftermath of the ice storm” said Meilleur. “Demand for the cards has been high and so more cards will be distributed at Toronto-area Ontario Works offices on Thursday, January 2 and Friday January 3, as available.

At least another $300,000 in gift cards will be given away, causing some critics to say seniors and the handicapped should have been given top priority.

Meilleur is looking for more donations to the program, where the province matches the donation. “I want to thank all the involved corporations for their generous donations, and encourage others to consider contributing to this worthwhile effort. To this point, approximately $460,000 has been pledged to the initiative, including provincial matching funds”, said Meilleur. “I would also like to remind everyone that these gift cards are intended to help those who have lost food and are unable to replace it without financial assistance. This initiative cannot provide gift cards to everyone who lost power, and should be reserved for those facing the most need.”

Loblaws, Shoppers Drug Mart, Metro, Sobeys, Bruce Power, Costco, Northland Power, Louie Coppa Family - A Coppa Family Tradition, CUPE Local 416 and the Insurance Bureau of Canada have all made donations said Meilleur.