A significant donation to help those struggling to put food on the table during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A number of community leaders have come together to provide $350,000, which will be used to purchase $100 grocery gift cards, to help those receiving social assistance buy food.
The Solcz Family Foundation and the Windsor Spitfires Foundation are providing $100,000 each, while the City of Windsor and the Windsor-Essex Community Foundation are also providing funding for the effort.
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens says there is around 3,200 to 3,300 people in Windsor-Essex on Ontario Works, with dependent family members, and these gift cards will help them.
Dilkens told AM800's The Morning Drive this idea came together a week ago after a phone call from Marty Solcz, who wanted to help those in need.
"Our internal team said 'the fastest way to do this and the biggest users of food banks in our community are those on Ontario Works who have dependant family members,' and there's around 3,200-to-3,000 of them," says Dilkens.
After getting a call from the Solcz Family Foundation, Dilkens says contacted the Windsor Spitfires, who jumped up to offer another $100,000 in help.
"Between the Solcz Family Foundation, the Windsor Spitfires, it brought the Windsor-Essex Community Foundation on board. The city put some money in. We now have $350,000 and we will be buying $100 grocery gift cards for 3,500 families in Windsor and Essex County," he says.
Dilkens points out that a number of people are struggling to put food on the table right now.
"They're either waiting for their emergency benefit to come in, they've had to reallocate money to rent and other things. So there are people struggling and we know there's high anxiety, but putting food on the table should not be one of those things causing anxiety," he adds.
The grocery gift cards will be sent out as of Friday and over the coming week.
The gift cards will be usable at any one of the 11 Loblaw’s family of grocery stores – including Zehrs, No Frills, and Real Canadian Superstores.