Food Archives - GlobalMedic

Hurricane Dorian: One Year Later, Where Are We Now?

On September 4^th 2019, what started as a large tropical storm had grown into a historic and monstrous Category 5 Hurricane, named Dorian, made land contact, flattening large areas of the Bahamas and impacted communities as far north as Nova Scotia.

While it has been a year, and most of the world has moved on and forgotten, recovery efforts are ongoing. At the six month mark, in March 2020, recovery efforts were just as strong as they had been on Day 1 and things were slowly improving – especially with tourism picking up slowly, given that is the main stimulant for the local economy. But then COVID-19 hit and tourism was shut down again, and things took a turn for the worse like they did around the world. The only difference here is that they are still trying to recover from the extensive damage caused by Hurricane Dorian and manage the effects of the global pandemic at the same time.

The damages in the Bahamas is estimated at $3.4 billion. The storm damaged infrastructure and caused massive flooding on the islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama. 43 people were killed and over 76,000 people were affected by the storm. With the damage so extensive, people in the Bahamas were in immediate need of clean water, food and shelter items. GlobalMedic was swift to respond.

Safe water is needed for everything, from drinking to cooking, bathing to healthcare. To address the fact that water was no longer safe to use following storm surges, GlobalMedic immediately deployed our Rapid Response Team with water purification units and the RescUAV Team with drones to provide on the ground assistance. We were able to distribute the following aid to communities in Grand Bahama, Abaco and Nassau:

6 large-scale water purification systems
4,700+ Family Emergency Kits which contain a household water purification solution, essential hygiene items, oral rehydration salts and solar lights.
7 large tents that are being used for clinics, storage, animal shelters, and child friendly spaces
300 kg dog food
Assorted building materials and tools, cooking items, air mattresses
Assisted with installation of solar panel in Sweetings Cay to power an AquaBoy Pro II water system
Our RescUAV team has mapped over 4,500 hectares and taken 44,000 pictures in Grand Bahama and over 1,000 hectares and 8,900 images in Abaco which were shared with local officials to help them better assess damage

We also had three main projects on the ground, the first is the Mold Remediation Project. Many houses were filled with water, damaging the drywall and structure of the house, allowing dangerous mold to grow. GlobalMedic supported the creation of the “Mold Busters” consortium, bringing together local entities to streamline the rebuilding process and create jobs. Through this program GlobalMedic was able to fully remediate 180 homes and create more than 45 jobs in our initial program period. This project is still ongoing as the damage was extensive and people still need safe places to live. We are continuing to remediate additional houses in order to get families back in their homes and back to normal life.

The second is the Fishing Boats Project. Fishing is a primary career for many Bahamians and is often the only source of income for families in the eastern region of the island. With the destruction of infrastructure on the island so severe, many could not afford to repair the boats as well as their homes. GlobalMedic hired a local contractor to provide boat repair for these fishermen. We provided all the fibreglass and additional materials through a partnership with Composites Canada. A Composites Canada staff member was also sent to Grand Bahama to fully train the local contractor on the use of the materials sent. GlobalMedic fully repaired the hulls of 37 boats and 5 jobs were created during the first program period. This project is also still ongoing as we are working to ensure that the local economy is able to continue to thrive as it did before Dorian hit. Local fishermen are still able to bring their boats to be repaired through this program and, with our partners at the Rotary Club of Grand Bahama, we are working to get new engines to these fishermen as well.

The third is the Emergency Food Project. GlobalMedic initially delivered over 6,600+ Emergency Food Kits filled with staple ingredients for displaced people in the Bahamas. Packing sites were set up locally, being supported by the ones in Canada, and in the first two months packing was happening 7 days a week. People who needed aid were coming out to help as well, grandmothers who were taking care of small kids would come out to pack while the kids stayed on site to help clean up and provide additional support. As Bahamians continue to deal with the effects of Hurricane Dorian as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, we have recently continued our support through this program, sending an additional 2,600 Emergency Food Kits.

GlobalMedic is proud to be able to support these efforts and strive to continue to do more, while keeping an eye on the current hurricane season that we find ourselves in.

Lebanon: Beirut Explosion Response 2020

On Tuesday, August 4th at 6:07pm, a large explosion erupted in Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon. The explosion took place in the country’s main port, located in the highly populated central district. The cause of the explosion has been linked to 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate, a highly explosive material, which was being stored in a warehouse in the city’s port. The explosion’s blast shattered glass throughout the city resulting in damage to buildings as far as 10 km away. As a result of the explosion, there has been an estimated 3 to 5 billion US dollars in damage. In addition, the blast severely damaged grain silos, which housed much of the country’s grain supplies. With more than 100 people killed and 6,000 injured from the blast, the city of Beirut has declared a two-week state of emergency.

100+ PEOPLE KILLED

300,000 PEOPLE DISPLACED

6,000 PEOPLE INJURED

The effects of the explosion are being felt throughout the city, with more than 300,000 people displaced from their homes. Four of the city’s hospitals are severely damaged and are therefore unable to provide assistance. The remaining hospitals are overwhelmed by the influx of injured people as well as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This explosion has also taken place during the worst financial crisis in the country’s history. Since the country’s main point of entry for imports destroyed and extensive infrastructure damage throughout Beirut, people are in need of immediate assistance. GlobalMedic is responding.

Our Response

We are packing Family Emergency Kits and Emergency Food Kits to distribute to families affected by the explosion in Beirut. The Family Emergency Kits include a water purification system, basic hygiene items, and a solar light. The water purification system is vital because many families have lost their homes and access to clean drinking water. The hygiene items included will help families regain a sense of normalcy as well as prevent the spread of COVID-19. The solar lights will provide much needed light and security since many are without electricity. The Emergency Food Kits will provide families with culturally appropriate dried food items. An immediate response is crucial in order to reach individuals and families dealing with the devastating effects of the explosion.

We have distributed more than 8,300 Emergency Food Kits and 2,900 Family Emergency Kits so far. We are continuing to prepare and send aid, and are working with our local partners to ensure it reaches those who need it most.

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COVID-19 Response 2020

GlobalMedic is responding to needs created by the COVID-19 pandemic. We believe in order to control this virus, it is extremely important for all of our local agencies (public and private) to work together to ensure the health and safety of our citizens, and we are doing our part in this ever-changing situation.

We are carrying out a series of programs designed to assist institutions and people affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.

Critical Infrastructure Program

The healthcare system inundated with people affected by COVID-19. We have offered hospitals critical infrastructure tents that they can use for patient triage, dedicated testing spaces, or any other need that arises.

Many food banks have been forced to close their doors to patrons to help reduce the spread of the virus. However the need for services food banks provide has not diminished. We have offered our tents to food banks to in an effort to reduce the number of people in buildings and provide a dedicated area for people to access much needed resources.

Aerial view of a crowd standing in front of critical infrastructure tenting at Etobicoke General Hospital — Tenting set up at Etobicoke General Hospital

Aerial view of military tent set up in a parking lot — Critical Infrastructure tenting set up at Daily Bread Food Bank

Impact: We have set up critical infrastructure tents at Daily Bread Food Bank, North York Harvest Food Bank, Brampton Civic Hospital, Etobicoke General Hospital and the Canadian Centre for Refugee and Immigrant Health Care

Hygiene and Family Kit Distribution

GlobalMedic has a longstanding partnership with Procter & Gamble. Our volunteers construct hygiene kits using P&G products and distribute them to food banks, shelters, and similar institutions across the country. Each kit contains full size hygiene items like shampoo, deodorant and toothpaste. We have ramped up our production to ensure the most vulnerable continue to have access to these essential needs in this uncertain time.

Bars of soap from Clean the World are also being given out to similar institutions to ensure everyone is able to properly wash their hands.

Similar to the hygiene kits, we have also been distributing family kits to food banks and shelters. These kits contain similar hygiene items, but also include cleaning supplies and laundry detergent and are designed to serve a family rather than an individual.

We are providing Thank You Kits to front-line workers in hospitals, senior services and long term care facilities across Canada. The kits include hygiene items for showering after work to help keep the workers safe and healthy. With these kits, we want to say thank you to the staff who are working incredibly hard to care for some of our most vulnerable community members.

In collaboration with local fire departments, we are handing out COVID Safety Kits containing soap and face masks. As the kits are handed out, fire fighters are also promoting the 3 P’s of COVID-19 safety.

people holding hygiene kits and standing in front of boxes — Hygiene Kits delivered to Women’s Centre of Calgary

A man and a woman standing in front of a car holding boxes of soap — GlobalMedic handing off bar soap to Street Health

Thank You Kits delivered to Grand River Hospital

Impact: We have provided 41,216 hygiene kits, 2,614 family kits, 1,082 clean up kits and 47,496 bars of soap to community organizations like Woodgreen Community Services, Street Health Toronto and Blue Door Shelter. We have also delivered 36,325 Thank You Kits to front-line workers and 10,525 COVID Safety Kits.

Emergency Food Distribution

As many food banks are beginning to face food shortages, we are responding by re-packaging staple foods purchased in bulk into 500g bags ready for use. The staple foods include green peas, pearled barley, red lentils, rice, chickpeas, green lentils and kidney beans.

We are also working with Hand Up Toronto, to supply food to families who are newly food insecure and may not know how to engage with the food bank system through our Feed the Six hamper program. These hampers are delivered through contactless drop-offs or drive through pick ups.

In addition, we have also been ordering food directly from the supplier and having it delivered to food banks. This cuts down on waiting time, and saves food banks the cost of buying the food themselves.

Rows of bags filled with green lentils — Green lentils packed for distribution

A man standing behind two pallets of dried foods — Bulk food delivery to Daily Bread Food Bank

Impact: We have provided over 192,400 kg of dried food staples, 24,000 cans of soup and 50,000 eggs to organizations including the Daily Bread Food Bank, North York Harvest Food Bank and Muslim Welfare Centre. We have also distributed 13,768 food hampers containing 108,544 kg of food including dry goods, pasta and potatoes.

Hand Sanitizer Program

With many local distilleries closed to the public, some have shifted their production method to begin producing hand sanitizer. The sanitizer has been approved by Health Canada and it ready to fill the gap in supply.

We have partnered with some of these local distilleries and are providing buckets and distribution networks. Together, we are getting hand sanitizer to food banks, shelters, hospitals and other healthcare institutions where it is critical.

We are also working to deliver hand sanitizer to First Nations communities in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in these vulnerable populations.

Two men filling buckets with hand sanitizer — Hand sanitizer production at Last Straw Distillery

Impact: In partnership with Willibald Farm Distillery, Last Straw Distillery, and Murphy’s Law Distillery we have distributed 1,760L of sanitizer to healthcare institutions and 7,500L of sanitizer to First Nations communities.

Cash Assistance Program

So many Canadians are struggling to make ends meet due to job losses as a direct result of COVID-19. We initiated a cash transfer program to help supplement the finances of families that have been affected. Participants were referred through partner food banks and children’s breakfast club programs, and were interviewed before receiving the transfer.

“Thank you for giving us the ability to buy groceries and pay rent”
Cash Transfer Recipient

Impact: 198 families have received $500 cash transfers.

Kits for First Nations Communities

Many First Nations Communities have been feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. With their locations often remote, access to items like food, hygiene supplies, and personal protective equipment is difficult and costly.

GlobalMedic and Hydro One have partnered to produce and distribute 10,000 kits for First Nations communities across Ontario. These kits include dried foods like rice, lentils, pasta and more, as well as soap, a solar light, and reusable masks.

The kits can support a family for several weeks, and provides them with important resources to keep them safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Please note that GlobalMedic is taking every precaution to protect its staff and volunteers during this outbreak, including enhanced hygiene practices, and ensuring physical distancing guidelines are followed.

Response Page Brought to You by Manulife

Feed the Six Campaign

The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to a dramatic increase in food insecurity across the Greater Toronto Area. In response, GlobalMedic has partnered with Hand Up Toronto to help “Feed The Six” with nutritious food packages that can help feed thousands of families in need. The response to the program has been overwhelming, with over 21,000 families already signed up to a growing list.

Feed the Six has already distributed over 24,000 kg of food to families in need across the city, reaching about 1,000 families every weekend through contactless delivery. The innovative program is extremely cost effective, with food being purchased in bulk and re-packaged by volunteers into family sized portions.

Humber College has provided the space for volunteers to package these staple foods like rice and legumes. The food packages also contain vegetables and other produce provided by Second Harvest Food Rescue. Volunteer drivers provide contactless delivery to families who are isolated or cannot access a food bank. These packages are delivered to families via pick-up points established by Hand Up Toronto.

Thanks to the support of our corporate partners, the tireless work of our staff and volunteers, and the efficient design of this response program, it is only costing $50 to feed 10 families in need for up to two weeks!

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What is the Toronto Recipe Challenge?

Our Emergency Food Kits are already nutritious, but we’re looking for help to make them delicious.

We are challenging people to create a recipe using one or more of the main ingredients from the food kits (green and red lentils, chickpeas, pearl barley, kidney beans, green peas, and rice) along with simple household seasonings and a maximum of 3 additional ingredients.

This will not only bring awareness to our campaign, but also joy to these families in need – as we will be including many of these recipes in the food kits being distributed.

VIEW RECIPES

Want to help Spread Awareness?

Step 1: Follow GlobalMedic (@globalmedicdmgf) on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter
Step 2: Share a post with your recipe and tag #TORecipeChallenge #FeedTheSix @GlobalMedicdmgf @HandUpToronto

Feed the Six Campaign

Feed the Six – Gord Martineau Appeal

A pair of hands holds a measuring cup filled with lentils — Packing Food Kits

Picture of assorted food for Feed the Six food kits — Packing Food Kits

Syria Conflict Response

With the war in Syria in its tenth year, the devastation continues. Today, 11.1 million Syrians are in need of humanitarian assistance, many of whom have been forced to flee their homes. There are more than 6 million Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in Syria and 5.5 million refugees in other countries around the world. 2.98 million people are located in hard-to-reach and besieged areas. 9.3 million Syrians are unable to meet their food needs and an additional 2.2 million are at risk of becoming food insecure.

The ongoing conflict continues to force Syrian families to flee their homes. Often leaving at a moment’s notice, these families are unable to pack important materials to support themselves as they move to safer areas. These mobile populations face serious health and safety risks and are in desperate need of humanitarian support.

400,000+ PEOPLE KILLED

11,100,000 NEED SUPPORT

6.7 MILLION IDPs

GlobalMedic has been sending aid to Syria since 2014 and will continue to do so as long as the need exists. Our Water, Food, Medical, and Shelter programs have all been activated for this response.

Our primary focus is ensuring that families have access to clean drinking water and food. We distribute Family Emergency Kits which contain a water purification solution and hygiene items, with additional items like oral rehydration salts, Lucky Iron Fish, whistles and solar lights may also be added.

We also distribute our Emergency Food Kits which have been designed specifically for our Syrian response and are a culturally appropriate and nutritious solution for families.

300,000+ PEOPLE REACHED

A Child walking beside two women toward a group of tents carrying Family Emergency Kits

OVER 43,600 FAMILY EMERGENCY KITS

1,500 HYGIENE KITS

MORE THAN 869,400 MEALS, AND 2,800 PANTRY KITS

21,000+ PEOPLE REACHED WITH MEDICAL SUPPLIES

Standing in front of a tent a young girl holds a baby

Grassroots Revolution

The Grassroots Revolution is comprised of two programs, The Soap Revolution and McAntony’s Menu. It encompasses all of GlobalMedic’s innovative methodology and focuses on leveraging volunteer labour and raising awareness through active volunteer participation. Overall, we can fill gaps in systems that already exist in order to reach the greatest number of people.

GlobalMedic has run a number of responses in Canada including responding to wildfires in Fort McMurray in 2016, British Columbia in 2017 and Alberta in 2019, and supporting many Syrian refugees as they arrived in 2016. Most consistently, we support local shelters and health clinics with the distribution of hygiene items and over-the-counter medicines. After evaluating the existing mechanisms we use to fill gaps in the humanitarian sector internationally, we identified areas where we could use these mechanisms domestically.

The Soap Revolution

We include basic hygiene items in our Family Emergency Kits because we know they help keep people healthy. After a disaster, proper hygiene can prevent the spread of deadly illnesses like cholera. This is an issue we see internationally, but even in Canada many basic hygiene items are inaccessible to low-income families. We designed The Soap Revolution to help tackle this problem.

The Needs

In Canada, and particularly the Greater Toronto Area, many low-income families are accessing food banks and shelters to meet their basic needs.

People often prioritize food, water and other critical items, and often forget or simply cannot afford hygiene items. Keeping up with basic hygiene practices is essential for staying healthy. Something as simple as frequent hand washing can help prevent the spread of illnesses in Canada’s low income communities.

The Soap Revolution boxes each containing 6 bars of soap.

An open cardboard box showing 6 bars of soap inside

Our Solution

Our goal with this program is to create easier access to one of the most basic hygiene items – soap. By increasing access we can help lower the number of cases of easily preventable illnesses in low income communities. We can also alleviate the burden of having to choose critical items like food over hygiene items.

The soap we use in this program is 100% recycled hotel soap from Clean the World. The soap is melted down, sanitized, and then reformed into new bars. Our volunteers package the soap into ‘family packs’ of 6 bars. These packs are then distributed through our existing food bank and shelter partners.

We can distribute bars of soap for a fraction of their retail price through the use of volunteers and partnering with Clean the World.

McAntony’s Menu

In the summer of 2018, we started developing GlobalMedic’s Emergency Food Program. The entire premise of our Food Program is that it is adaptable and must be changed to best fit the needs of the people we are looking to reach. McAntony’s Menu is the domestic arm of this program.

The Needs

1 in 8 households or nearly 4 million Canadians across the country are food insecure. In Toronto, this number is even higher with 1 in 5 households experiencing food insecurity. The effect of food insecurity is immense, causing increased risk of poor mental and physical health. Food insecure households can have healthcare costs up to 121% higher compared to those who are food secure. Families often have to make the decision to skip meals in order to pay for rent, phone bills and transportation.

Food packaging for green lentils, red lentils, barley, rice, green peas, chickpeas and kidney beans

hands holding a 500g bag of packed green lentils in a McAntony's Menu bag

Our Solution

This program mobilizes volunteers and our existing supply chains in order to create 500g bags of pantry staples like rice, lentils and kidney beans. Volunteers fill these individual bags with food from large 50 lb bags. These bags are boxed up and then delivered to food banks and other support programs to support their clients. Donating food in this way allows us to give a 500g bag of food to a family for a third to a quarter of the retail price. Because we make bulk orders of products in large sizes, we make the most of our buying power. Utilizing volunteers allows the cost of creating this product to remain so low.

Another key aspect to this program is the look of the finished product. We wanted the design for the food packaging donated through the McAntony’s Menu program to look similar to other products you would see in a retail environment. People who are accessing food banks deserve the dignity of choosing from items that are not obviously “charity food”. Therefore, the design does not feature the GlobalMedic name or logo.

McAntony’s Menu is not meant to compete with existing food support services but rather to complement a heavily utilized system. The program is a unique way to think about and approach food donation.

Our Impact

We launched The Grassroots Revolution at the beginning of 2020 and since then have been working to get out as much aid through this program as possible. Much of our impact at the beginning of the program was in response to the outbreak of COVID-19. Through The Grassroots Revolution we have delivered:

329049

KG OF FOOD

98444

Tag: Food

Hurricane Dorian: One Year Later, Where Are We Now?

Lebanon: Beirut Explosion Response 2020

Our Response

COVID-19 Response 2020

Critical Infrastructure Program

Hygiene and Family Kit Distribution

Emergency Food Distribution

Hand Sanitizer Program

Cash Assistance Program

Kits for First Nations Communities

Feed the Six Campaign

What is the Toronto Recipe Challenge?

Want to help Spread Awareness?

Syria Conflict Response

Grassroots Revolution

The Soap Revolution

The Needs

Our Solution

McAntony’s Menu

The Needs

Our Solution

Our Impact

KG OF FOOD

BARS OF SOAP