BCHS and Compass are working toward sustainability

BCHS is proud to play a small role in addressing the rising issue of food insecurity through a partnership with Second Harvest, Canada’s largest food rescue program.

According to the Brant County Health Unit, one in six households in Brant are considered food insecure, meaning they have inadequate access to nutritious food. This issue has significant public health implications, as families and individuals facing food insecurity report higher levels of chronic disease (Grand River Community Health Centre).

Second Harvest captures food before it goes to waste and redirects it to non-profits and social service agencies, which helps provide communities in need with nutritious meals. This initiative by Compass One Healthcare has resulted in the donation of over 2,000 meals since May 2024 to local organizations like the Brantford Blessing Centre. These donated meals are the same that would be served to patients, that for various reasons go uneaten at the hospital, and account for approximately 60% of what would otherwise be waste.

The Brantford Blessing Centre is a faith-based, volunteer-run community food service that provides a hot takeout meal and free grocery service, 7 days a week. They serve an average of 100-150 people every day, and over 3900 meals per month. In a recent Facebook post, they said “Brantford, by far, is a community we can be proud of being a part of. It takes a community to lift a community.”

In addition to donating uneaten meals, Compass and BCHS have also worked hard to reduce waste in other areas. Through the Compass Waste Not 2.0 program, the BCHS Nutrition department was able to:

• Divert the majority of our waste from the landfill through composting or donation
• Identify key areas for improvement in diverting even more waste and reducing overproduction
• Adjust orders and make substitutions to better meet patient needs and reduce waste

The current process of donating meals and composting have already diverted thousands of pounds of greenhouse gases from entering our atmosphere by keeping food out of landfills – in September, over 2600 lbs. were diverted alone.

BCHS and Compass are proud of the meaningful impact we’ve been able to have through these initiatives and look forward to continuing to support our community. For any questions about the Second Harvest program, please contact Nutrition Services Department at ext. 2247.