Eric Sprott, CEO of Sprott Asset Management Inc., through the Sprott Foundation has offered his support to Toronto-based charity Second Harvest.

The Sprott Foundation recently donated over $165,000 to Second Harvest to purchase a new truck. Ironically, the donation comes at a time when food donations have decreased drastically, down 300,000 pounds from last year.

“We’re thrilled by the support of the Sprott family. We were in desperate need for a new truck, and their generosity is very much appreciated.” says Zoe Cormack Jones, executive director of Second Harvest. “Now our challenge is to fill that truck with food.”

With a growing waiting list of 35 agencies that need the food that Second Harvest provides, Cormack Jones attributes the drop in food donations to tighter inventory controls in the food industry.

Juliana Sprott, vice president of the Sprott Foundation, says, “The Sprott Foundation chose Second Harvest as a charity to support because we are deeply impressed with their commitment to bringing fresh food to members of our community. We believe that by giving people in our society a well-balanced, nutritious diet, we are helping to contribute to a stronger GTA. The Sprott Foundation believes that for an individual to attain their potential, their day must include nourishing food to support their physical state and their mental well-being as well.”

Second Harvest picks up donated, high-quality fresh food, which would otherwise go to waste, and delivers that food to social service programs in Toronto.

Sprott is a noted philanthropist. He and his family established The Sprott Foundation in 1985. They have been generous patrons of the arts, and also have dedicated significant resources to the alleviation of hunger in the developing world.