One Million Pounds of Food, One Million Reasons to Celebrate

Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. — One million pounds is a big number. But for The Salvation Army in Sault Ste. Marie, it represents something much more meaningful: one million pounds of food that was given another purpose and ultimately helped people in the community.

On September 17, staff, volunteers and community partners gathered at The Salvation Army at 78 Elgin Street to celebrate an incredible milestone in its partnership with Metro through Feed Ontario’s One More Bite Program.

Since the program launched locally Metro’s participation has helped The Salvation Army recover one million pounds of food that might otherwise have gone to waste.

Instead, fresh and nutritious food—including meat, prepared meals, dairy and bakery products—has been redistributed to individuals and families through The Salvation Army’s Lunch Program, also known as Meals to Go.

“We just love Metro. They refer to us as partners, which I love that word. I love the fact that they see us as partner.” said Major Sean Furey of The Salvation Army.

The milestone was celebrated with a Metro Appreciation Day featuring a barbecue, games, prizes, cake and plenty of smiles and laughter. Staff and volunteers also had an opportunity to recognize the Metro team for its ongoing commitment to supporting people in Sault Ste. Marie.

The celebration also brought together community leaders, including Mayor Matthew Shoemaker and Councillor Luke Dufour, along with Major Furey and a representative from Metro’s head office.

Guests were invited to tour The Salvation Army’s Food Bank, providing an opportunity to see firsthand how donated and recovered fresh food such as meat, eggs and dairy makes its way into the community and supports people facing food insecurity.

“Approximately 30,000 people a year through this program.”

The One More Bite Program was developed as a retail food recovery program through Feed Ontario members, with the goal of ensuring that good, nutritious food reaches people who need it rather than going to waste.

“The best advertising we ever had was this line in front of our building, because it never ends. It never goes away. Everybody benefits. Every person who comes to the food bank, in whatever capacity, benefits from this One More Bite program.”

For The Salvation Army, the partnership with Metro demonstrates what can happen when businesses, community organizations, volunteers and local leaders work together.

“5800 families alone here at the food bank.”

One million pounds of recovered food is an impressive milestone—but its greatest impact can be measured in meals, dignity and support for people and families in Sault Ste. Marie.

The Salvation Army is grateful to Metro and its local teams for helping turn surplus food into meaningful support in battling food insecurity, one pound at a time. To watch more coverage on these impactful initiatives, please visit CTV News here.

To learn how you can help, visit salvationarmy.ca, call 1-800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769), or connect with The Salvation Army Sault Ste. Marie Community and Family Services at 78 Elign St. Sault Ste. Marie. To donate, please click here.

By Claudia Nosseir