November 2, 2020
For Immediate Release
Protecting food destined for food banks; Feed Nova Scotia installs new generator
Halifax—Food is a precious commodity, and Feed Nova Scotia is excited to announce that a new natural gas generator at their warehouse in Burnside will help protect thousands of dollars of food destined for food banks across the province, in the event of a power interruption.
“Feed Nova Scotia ships close to $50,000 worth of food each day to food banks and meal programs across the province, and close to 60% of that food is fresh and frozen product that’s stored in our cooler and freezer,” said Nick Jennery, executive director. “Knowing that we now have the infrastructure in place to protect that food if our warehouse operations are affected by a weather event is a huge relief with the fall and winter months ahead. It’s about keeping the food safe and helping ensure the reliability of food support when it’s critically needed.”
The newly installed 100 kW, 600 V Cummins Quiet Connect Series Standby Generator will kick in automatically within 15 seconds of the power going out, and will power Feed Nova Scotia’s entire 40,000 square foot facility, comprising both office and warehouse operations, including the 2600 square foot cooler and 1300 square foot freezer.
The project began with a phone call from Eastward Energy last October, on the heels of Hurricane Dorian. Eastward Energy is the natural gas distributor in Nova Scotia. They wondered if Feed Nova Scotia would be interested in a natural gas generator and offered to help make it happen. Through the leadership and financial support of Eastward Energy, and strong collaboration with Benoit Electric and Iron Dog (a gas contractor), the installation was completed last month—perfectly timed so the organization is prepared for hurricane season.
“Eastward Energy cares deeply about the communities in which we live, work and serve,” said John Hawkins, CEO, Eastward Energy. “Providing Feed Nova Scotia with this natural gas generator allows their organization to protect the generous food donations they receive from Nova Scotians every day. It’s been an honour to join forces with Benoit Electric and Iron Dog to install the generator. We’ve been incredibly inspired to see so many community members lend a hand to turn this idea into reality.”
Feed Nova Scotia also received $25,000 through Halifax Regional Municipality’s community grants program in support of the project, and in-kind support from BDI, Hussman, MacFarlands, Cummins, Ocean, R&D Crane, and United Rentals.
Jennery feels that kind of goodness is simply in our DNA. “Nova Scotians help one another. We see it time and time again, and we’re so incredibly grateful.”
Feed Nova Scotia distributes food on a regular basis to a network of 141 food banks, shelters and meal programs, who collectively support at least 45,000 Nova Scotians. In the last six months, the charity has distributed more than one million kilograms of food—up 15% over the same period last year. Fresh and frozen product is a particularly big reason for the increase, tracking 25% higher than the same period last year.
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Contact:
Karen Theriault, Feed Nova Scotia
902-403-4273