Moblie pantry aims to provide Windsor-Essex residents in need of fresh produce

Local organizations are teaming up to help provide Windsor-Essex residents access to fresh produce over the weekends.

The UHC Hub of Opportunities launched the Caesar Windsor Cares Mobile Food Pantry on Friday.

Team members and community HEROs from Caesars Windsor joined UHC at Mic Mac Park to help distribute veggie hampers to those who experience hardship in the community.

Caesars Windsor Cares corporate giving program donated $8,045 to UHC to help run a mobile food pantry that will go into five high poverty areas within Windsor Essex County.

The mobile pantry will head into these neighbourhoods every Saturday to distribute bags full of fresh, healthy produce throughout July and August.

“We are delighted to be a partner with the UHC-Hub of Opportunities and our employees are proud to be a part of this program. Many of them are passionate about giving time, money, and skills to address the issues facing our community. It is part of our culture and how we live our mission to create the extraordinary,” said Susanne Tomkins, public relations & communications manager at Caesars Windsor.

The produce that is being distributed is rescued locally from greenhouse growers and farmers that would have otherwise gone to waste. This helps communities’ farmers reduce operating costs, prevent green house gas emissions, and all while helping get healthy food to individuals who would otherwise go without.

“With the escalated cost of food and transportation, individuals and families have limited access to food banks, and nutritional meals, especially over the weekends,” explains June Muir, CEO, UHC – Hub of Opportunities. “It is because of partnerships like this we can continue to identify the gaps in our community and put initiatives in place to create equal opportunities for every individual to thrive in the face of adversity.”

The Caesar Windsor Cares Mobile Food Pantry is expected to help 5,000 low-income individuals and their families have access to healthy produce. This will allow them to create nutritional meals to sustain a healthy diet and lifestyle.