Humber College and Chartwells team up to feed long-term care residents 

By Bridget Yard on
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Long-term care home residents and those who work with them have been some of the hardest hit by COVID-19. 

The homes' staff are focused on the health and safety of residents but securing access to nutritious food in a time of mandatory closures has been a challenge. 

Humber College and food service provider Chartwells, a division of Compass Group Canada, are working together to help fill the need.   

Chartwells’ staff are using Humber’s commissary kitchen facilities at North Campus to prepare and distribute meals to seniors’ residences and other healthcare organizations in the area. Clad in personal protective equipment and adhering to physical distancing rules, they prepare, package, and deliver more than 1,500 meals every day.  

“Chartwells is honoured be part of the Humber College family in supporting our healthcare providers during these challenging times,” said Kevin Booth, Vice President of Chartwells.  

Pooling resources 

The college has a similar partnership with aid agency GlobalMedic. Founded by Humber College graduate Rahul Singh, GlobalMedic has enlisted volunteers from Humber to process and package pulse products from the cafeteria at 110 Carrier Drive. 

Humber remains committed to cooperation and innovation, and to keeping the community safe and healthy, especially in crisis situations. 

In March, Humber took inventory of supplies and infrastructure that could be used to support COVID-19-related initiatives and donated these to William Osler Health System (Osler). Preparing meals in the Humber commissary

In addition to the food distribution projects, Humber College provided Osler with the use of the Queen’s Plate parking lot for a temporary drive through COVID-19 Assessment Centre. 

The hospital is across the street from the facilities at North Campus and some of the meals will be sent there. 

“These are challenging times and we are very proud to be able to support our most vulnerable community members in collaboration with our partners at Chartwells,” said Sanjay Puri, Vice President, Administration & CFO at Humber College 

Before the Chartwells production began, the company consulted with nutritionists to ensure the boxed meals align with the needs of residents.  

Then the team got right to work in Humber’s kitchen.