The race to rescue 1 million meals is underway. Here is how you can help

CTV Toronto Anchor and Second Harvest Ambassador Michelle Dube discusses the campaign, which looks to combat food insecurity and food waste.

Editor’s note: CTV News Toronto’s Michelle Dube is one of 100 ambassadors taking part in a new Second Harvest initiative to rescue the equivalent of one million meals by the end of the week.

When I was a little girl, my parents would often remind me at the dinner table, “Finish your food because there are hungry kids out there who would love to have it.”

Now, I find myself saying the same thing to my own children - the food waste in our home is frustrating.

But I’ve come to realize, food insecurity isn’t solved by clearing your plate. You just can’t donate your kiddies’ leftovers smothered in ketchup and ranch dip.

Fortunately, there is a movement underway to make sure perfectly good food ends up on plates instead of in landfills. It’s called food rescue, and Second Harvest is at the forefront in this country as Canada’s largest food rescue organization.

Covering local news for 17 years here at CTV News Toronto, I’ve had a front-row seat to the affordability crisis unfolding in our communities. Food banks are overwhelmed by demand. Many clients have jobs and are still struggling to feed their families. It’s disheartening to see the problem persist for so long.

That’s why I’ve been deeply encouraged by what Second Harvest is accomplishing. Through a nationwide network of community partners, they redirect surplus food from the supply-chain to people who need it most. What would have been waste, transformed into healthy much-needed meals. Last year they rescued 95.3 million pounds of food, supporting 6.8 million people.

Their approach tackles multiple problems all at once: food waste, hunger, and averts greenhouse gas emissions from decomposing food in landfills.

I’m telling you all this because I am one of 100 ambassadors taking part in the “100 Hour Race to Rescue 1 Million Meals Across Canada.”

The campaign is taking place across Canada and will run until 12 p.m. on May 30. Some of the other ambassadors involved include singer Shania Twain, former Toronto Maple Leaf Mitch Marner, astronaut Chris Hadfield and chef and ‘The Bear’ star Matty Matheson.

We will be rallying our communities over four days to help curb food waste in this country. If you’re able to contribute even a few dollars, it can go a remarkably long way. Every $1 raised helps provide five meals. Honestly, when was the last time a dollar stretched that far?

In many ways, food rescue is that old lesson parents have long-parroted at the dinner table put into action.

Follow this link for more on how you can help rescue one million meals.