Niagara-on-the-Lake food bank gets $4,400 for new fridge-freezer

A contest by an Ontario credit union to see which businesses and organizations were doing their best to go green but could use a financial boost saw a Niagara-on-the-Lake food bank finish second and collect a $4,405.87 grant to buy a new commercial refrigerator and freezer.

When Meridian Credit Union held its inaugural Eco-Upgrade Contest, two London businesses won first and third with Niagara-on-the-Lake’s NFP Newark Neighbours Food Bank sandwiched between them when the results were announced yesterday (Sept. 26).

“Business owners are often challenged in doing what is right for the environment because they struggle to justify an additional expense when already facing higher costs that are impacting their margins,” said Nigel Millington, Regional Vice President of Meridian Business Banking.

“Under our new Meridian for Good strategy, providing grants under the Eco-Upgrade Project is just one way we are helping small business owners to overcome barriers to operating in an eco-friendlier way.”

Meridian, whose headquarters is in St. Catharines, said the NFP Newark Neighbours Food Bank could use the grant “to purchase a new commercial refrigerator and freezer to better serve the needs of their food bank clients and lower their energy use.”

The contest was open to small businesses and organizations and it received over 200 entries from participants who submitted their sustainability requests from April 1 to 30.