1,800 kg of chicken donated to help families in need

Chicken Farmers of Ontario have committed to donating nearly 1,800 kilograms of chicken to help people with food insecurity in Windsor, Ont., on Thursday, July 11, 2024. (Stefanie Masotti/CTV News Windsor)

Chicken Farmers of Ontario have committed to donating nearly 1,800 kilograms of chicken or 16,000 meals throughout 2024 to help individuals and family struggling with food insecurity.

"Proteins, like chicken, are among some of the most-needed items at food banks," says Brian Lews, CFO's Board of Director District 3. "We want to ensure that Ontario communities and food banks have a steady supply of safe, healthy, locally-grown chicken."

UHC Hub of Opportunities officials say this will have a positive impact in our community.

"When we distribute our hampers, we want to ensure there is meat, eggs, bread, those staples that are high protein that you need to sustain a quality diet," said Mackenzie Adams, communication manager at UHC Hub of Opportunities. "It's crucial for individuals that are coming to our food bank that they can receive healthy, nutritious, high protein food, keeps them full longer and it just an all around healthy diet."

"Famers feed cities," said MPP Lisa Gretzky. "With housing and groceries being so unaffordable, the need is greater."

Since 2015, the CFO Cares: Farmers to Food Banks program has donated over nine-million chickens.

"Everybody pitching in is the only way we're going to achieve success," said Windsor-Tecumseh MPP Andrew Dowie. "It's community mindness that we all have a part to play in, helping to make sure that hunger is something that we can extinguish."