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Truckload of PEI Potatoes delivered to Kingston

Posted by Daniel Geleyn, President Kingston-Frontenac
 
Christian Perry, a Lionhearts Inc. volunteer, offloads the first skid of PEI potatoes at the Kingston Community Food Redistribution Warehouse on April 5 while the truck driver looks on. The potatoes were provided by Second Harvest and this delivery was facilitated by Rotarians in Kingston. The 60,000 lbs. of potatoes are to be distributed by the many food security providers in Kingston and area.
Christian Perry, a Lionhearts Inc. volunteer, offloads the first skid of PEI potatoes at the Kingston Community Food Redistribution Warehouse (CFRW) on April 5 while Emma Cox, the CFRW facility manager looks on. The potatoes were provided by Second Harvest and this delivery was facilitated by Rotarians in Kingston. The 60,000 lbs. of potatoes are to be distributed by the many food security providers in Kingston and area.
Christian Perry, a Lionhearts Inc. volunteer, helps to offload a skid of PEI potatoes at the Kingston Community Food Redistribution Warehouse on April 5. The potatoes were provided by Second Harvest and this delivery was facilitated by Rotarians in Kingston. The 60,000 lbs. of potatoes are to be distributed by the many food security providers in Kingston and area.
Some of the skids of PEI potatoes that were delivered at the Kingston Community Food Redistribution Warehouse on April 5. The facility is managed by Lionhearts Inc., and the potatoes were provided by Second Harvest while this delivery was facilitated by Rotarians in Kingston. The 60,000 lbs. of potatoes are to be distributed by the many food security providers in Kingston and area.
 
 
Emma Cox, the Kingston Community Food Redistribution Warehouse facility manager moves one of the 19 skids of PEI potatoes at the Kingston Community Food Redistribution Warehouse on April 5. The potatoes were provided by Second Harvest and this delivery was facilitated by Rotarians in Kingston. The 60,000 lbs. of potatoes are to be distributed by the many food security providers in Kingston and area.
Kingston Whig-Standard
 

Have you ever wondered what 60,000 lbs of potatoes look like? Well, thanks to Rotary in Kingston, Lionhearts Inc. and the newly opened Community Food Redistribution Warehouse in Kingston, we saw that many potatoes delivered directly to Kingston and beyond on April 5. Through their extensive Rotary network across Ontario, Canada, and indeed the world, Kingston Rotarians were able to coordinate a gift of a full truckload of PEI potatoes to Kingston and area to support food security agencies.

Paul Elsley, the current Rotary Area Governor for Seaway West, has been involved in food security in Kingston since his family moved to the area ten years ago. “We will be able to distribute this large shipment of potatoes very quickly, thanks in large part to the cooperation between the agencies in Kingston and to the reach of Rotary” says Elsley. Through the Rotary connections, the potatoes will be distributed as far as Brockville, Gananoque, Napanee, as well as the about 40 different organizations in Kingston dealing with food security.

Seizing on the opportunity to get a large shipment of potatoes to the area, Kingston Rotarians energized their considerable network to connect with Second Harvest in Toronto to get a full shipment of 60,000 lbs of PEI potatoes to Kingston. But, as 60,000 lbs is a lot of potatoes, considerable coordination was required in order to make sure that these would be put to good use. Lionhearts Inc., with their considerable experience in food security and food rescue, has been instrumental to facilitate this.

“When we first started eight years ago, we used to pick up a few hundred lbs. of produce. Last year we actually delivered 4.1 million dollars’ worth of product to the different agencies here in town,” says Shawn Seargeant, one of the long-time volunteers at Lionhearts Inc.

This was also a logistical challenge as you cannot just put 60,000 lbs. of potatoes in a regular storage room. Luckily, Kingston had just inaugurated the opening of the Community Food Redistribution Warehouse with Lionhearts Inc. in charge of its management. Most of the potatoes, 47,500 lbs. of them, were delivered directly to this facility with the rest of them being delivered to Brockville.

“This week is our first official week of being open,” says Emma Cox, the facility manager at the Kingston Community Food Redistribution Warehouse.  “I’m very excited as this is one of the biggest deliveries we have ever received,” she adds.

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Vous êtes-vous déjà demandé à quoi ressemblent 60 000 lb de pommes de terre? Eh bien, grâce au Rotary de Kingston, à Lionhearts Inc. et au nouvel entrepôt communautaire de redistribution des aliments à Kingston, nous avons vu que de nombreuses pommes de terre ont été livrées directement à Kingston et au-delà le 5 avril.

Grâce à leur vaste réseau Rotary en Ontario, au Canada et dans le monde entier, les Rotariens de Kingston ont été en mesure de coordonner le don d’un camion complet de pommes de terre de l’Île-du-Prince-Édouard à Kingston et dans la région pour soutenir les organismes de sécurité alimentaire.

Paul Elsley, le gouverneur de la région Seaway ouest, s’occupe de la sécurité alimentaire à Kingston depuis que sa famille a déménagé dans la région il y a dix ans. « Nous serons en mesure de distribuer cette importante cargaison de pommes de terre très rapidement, en grande partie grâce à la coopération entre les agences de Kingston et à la portée du Rotary », déclare Elsley. Grâce aux liaisons Rotary, les pommes de terre seront distribuées jusqu’à Brockville, Gananoque, Napanee, ainsi que les environ 40 organisations différentes de Kingston qui s’occupent de la sécurité alimentaire.

Profitant de l’occasion d’obtenir une importante expédition de pommes de terre dans la région, les Rotariens de Kingston ont dynamisé leur vaste réseau pour se connecter à Second Harvest à Toronto afin d’obtenir une expédition complète de 60 000 lb de pommes de terre de l’Île-du-Prince-Édouard à Kingston. Mais, comme 60 000 lb, c’est beaucoup de pommes de terre, une coordination considérable a été nécessaire pour s’assurer qu’elles seraient utilisées à bon escient. Lionhearts Inc., avec sa grande expérience en matière de sécurité alimentaire et de sauvetage alimentaire, a joué un rôle déterminant dans cette voie.

« Lorsque nous avons commencé il y a huit ans, nous avions l’habitude de ramasser quelques centaines de livres de produits. L’année dernière, nous avons en fait livré 4,1 millions de dollars de produits aux différentes agences ici en ville », explique Shawn Seargeant, l’un des bénévoles de longue date de Lionhearts Inc.

C’était également un défi logistique, car vous ne pouvez pas simplement mettre 60 000 lb de pommes de terre dans une salle d’entreposage régulière. Heureusement, Kingston venait d’inaugurer l’ouverture de l’entrepôt communautaire de redistribution des aliments avec Lionhearts Inc. en charge de sa gestion. La plupart des pommes de terre, dont 47 500 lb, ont été livrées directement à cette installation, le reste étant livré à Brockville.

« Cette semaine est notre première semaine officielle d’ouverture », déclare Emma Cox, gestionnaire des installations à l’entrepôt communautaire de redistribution des aliments de Kingston.  « Je suis très excitée car c’est l’une des plus grandes livraisons que nous ayons jamais reçues », ajoute-t-elle.