Stone Hearth Bakery and Halifax Meals on Wheels Join Forces to Combat Food Insecurity in HRM

HALIFAX, December 5, 2023 – Stone Hearth Bakery and Halifax Meals on Wheels have teamed up to bring affordable, nutritious meals to residents in Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM).

Stone Hearth Bakery prepares over 300 meals a week, and Halifax Meals on Wheels delivers them fresh to the neighbourhoods every morning. With meals like roast chicken, meatloaf, and baked haddock, clients have been complimenting the chefs’ cooking at Stone Hearth Bakery.

Terry Gallagher, Board Member of Halifax Meals on Wheels, said the goal with this new partnership was to provide their clients with a quality menu that is nutritious, affordable and familiar to their clients with locally known dishes.

"Working together,” said Gallagher, “this partnership will give both Stone Hearth Bakery and Halifax Meals on Wheels the opportunity to address issues of food insecurity, nutrition for our more vulnerable populations, and social isolation in our community."

In the summer of 2023, Halifax Meals on Wheels and Stone Hearth Bakery began discussing the need for the community to have access to affordable, high-quality and nutritious meals. With Stone Hearth Bakery’s experience in the kitchen, and Halifax Meals on Wheels’s established meal deliveries, they quickly signed a food service agreement and served the first meals to clients on October 1, 2023.

Halifax Meals on Wheels serves a variety of clients, but a popular demographic are older adults living at home, sometimes with primary caregivers. This service can provide meal preparation relief to primary caregivers and allow clients to stay independent in their own home. Volunteers personally deliver meals to clients and engage in conversations, contributing to a connected community.

In 2022, volunteers from Halifax Meals on Wheels delivered over 6,000 meals to clients in Halifax, Spryfield, Fairview, Clayton Park and Rockingham.

“This collaboration not only supports those who are food insecure with getting a great meal,” said Dave Rideout, President and CEO of MetroWorks, "but it also gives our participants at Stone Hearth Bakery an opportunity to enhance their skills in the kitchen, which can lead to jobs in the hospitality sector.”

MetroWorks is the non-profit organization that owns and operates Stone Hearth Bakery as a social enterprise. Stone Hearth Bakery not only operates as a commercial kosher-pareve bakery, confectionary kitchen and catering service, it also operates an employability program for those facing barriers which hold them back from finding and securing employment on their own.

“This is an example of what a social enterprise can do.” said Rideout. “We can provide a great meal and, at the same time, provide food service training for our participants.”

At present, Stone Hearth Bakery accommodates just over 20 participants that work in their bakery and kitchens, with approximately 50 participants completing the program each year. Participants gain essential skills for future employment like operating commercial bakery and kitchen equipment, safe food handling, and working on a production line.

“This is a great example of the impact these types of partnerships can make.” added Rideout. “Between a social enterprise like Stone Hearth Bakery and an organization like Halifax Meals on Wheels, we're working together to give back to the communities we serve.”

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Media Contacts:

Halifax Meals on Wheels Media Contact:
Terence Gallagher
Meals on Wheels Board Member
Phone: 902 579 8883
Email: terencegallagher@live.com

Stone Hearth Bakery and MetroWorks Media Contact:
Bethanee Diamond
Communications and Marketing Coordinator
Phone: 902-240-5619
Email: bethaneed@mymetroworks.ca