Second Harvest thanks community for overwhelming support following theft of catalytic converters and damage to Food Rescue Trucks

‍TORONTO, October 26, 2026 – Businesses, foundations, community organizations and individuals have rallied behind Second Harvest following the theft of catalytic converters from seven of its food rescue trucks and damage to their exhaust systems over the Thanksgiving long weekend. Their generosity has helped the organization recover from the incident and continue delivering rescued food to communities in need.

Second Harvest extends its sincere appreciation to Aurora Importing & Distributing Ltd., Capital One Canada, Chick-fil-A, First National Financial LP, Geotab, La Fondation Emmanuelle Gattuso, Loblaw Companies Limited, Menkes Developments, Monda Rosenberg, Rush Trucks, Sobeys Inc., The Daniels Corporation and Waugh Family Foundation for their generous financial contributions.

The organization is also grateful to Canada Cartage, Fortigo Freight, and Gay Lea Foods for providing in-kind support.  

Special thanks go to the many businesses, organizations and individuals who offered vehicles, transportation assistance and other resources to help keep rescued food moving. While not every offer could be accepted, each was sincerely appreciated. Second Harvest also thanks everyone who donated through its online fundraising page or reached out with messages of encouragement and support.

Thanks to this extraordinary generosity, Second Harvest has secured sufficient financial support to cover the costs associated with the incident, including repairs, temporary transportation and additional security measures. This support is helping get its trucks back on the road and maintain food deliveries to communities in need.

The incident left seven trucks out of service at a time of rising demand for food support, disrupting deliveries of healthy, rescued food to more than 337 non-profit organizations across Toronto that collectively support approximately 1.5 million Torontonians.

“What happened to our trucks was devastating, but what followed was an incredible reminder of the generosity and compassion of our community,” said Lori Nikkel, CEO of Second Harvest. “Businesses, foundations, community organizations and individuals stepped forward without hesitation, offering financial support, vehicles and whatever else they could to help. Our staff worked tirelessly to keep food moving, and our non-profit partners showed tremendous understanding. What could have been a much larger disruption became a powerful example of what we can accomplish together. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.”

Second Harvest also thanks the Toronto Police Service, particularly 22 Division, for its response and ongoing investigation, which resulted in a suspect being apprehended within a week of the incident.

With sufficient financial support secured, Second Harvest is no longer seeking donations specifically for recovery costs related to the incident.

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About Second Harvest

Second Harvest is Canada’s largest food rescue organization and a global thought leader on food waste and perishable food redistribution. It rescues unsold surplus food from thousands of food businesses from across the supply chain to redistribute it to non-profits in every province and territory. This prevents harmful greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere while improving access to nutrition for millions of Canadians experiencing food insecurity. Beyond food rescue and redistribution, Second Harvest is deeply involved in advocacy, research, training and education. Its groundbreaking reports, such as “The Avoidable Crisis of Food Waste,” provide critical data and insights to inform public policy and educate the public on sustainable food systems.

Second Harvest is committed to driving systemic change, helping to shape policies and practices that reduce food waste and address its role in climate change, while also supporting communities by providing them with the food they need.  

To learn more, visit www.secondharvest.ca    

For media inquiries, please contact:
Giao Chau, Communications Manager
Email: giaoc@secondharvest.ca
Phone: 416-346-3617