Donations during the holiday season critical to help local food
banks fight hunger
2012 Extra Helping™ Holiday Food Drive supports local
food banks across Alberta
CALGARY,
Nov. 16, 2012 /CNW/ - While hunger is
a year round reality for many families, the holidays can bring
added pressure to ensure cupboards are not bare. Alberta food banks assist an average of 53,512
individuals each month, 44 per cent of whom are children. To
respond to this need, Real Canadian
Superstore®, No Frills®, Extra
Foods®, and Wholesale Club™ are holding the
Extra Helping™ Holiday Food Drive from November 23 to December 13, and are encouraging
local residents to help by donating food or funds.
"This is a critical time of year to reach out for donations, as
the enhanced generosity inspired by the holiday season can
significantly help to stock our shelves," says Jessi Evanoff with the Alberta Food Bank Network
Association. "Adding just one item into the food donation bin at
the local grocery store will help to fight hunger and feed local
families in our community."
To help, simply purchase or bring nutritious, non-perishable
food items and drop them into the in-store Extra Helping™
donation bins, or make a cash donation at check-out. To help
customers quickly and easily identify the food bank's most needed
items while they shop, Real Canadian
Superstore®, No Frills®, Extra
Foods®, and Wholesale Club™ stores will have
the Extra Helping™ logo featured on shelves in a variety of
aisles.
In 2012, with the generosity and support of their customers,
Loblaw grocery stores like Real Canadian
Superstore® and Extra Foods® have
raised $627,000 in funds and 647,000
pounds of food for food banks across Canada and are hoping to raise a grand total
of $1.2 million and 1.2 million
pounds of food by year end.
To make it even easier for customers to donate, participating
Loblaw banner stores like Real Canadian
Superstore® and Extra Foods® will
sell a specially designed $5
PC® Blue Menu® Deluxe Cheddar
Macaroni and Cheese Dinner. When customers purchase the
$5 box, they are donating 4 food
items, and a $1 cash donation.
Customers can donate knowing that their $5 will purchase healthy food items for Canadian
families in need. All they need to do is pick up the box while
grocery shopping, pay for it when they check out and drop it in the
Extra Helping™ donation bin on their way out.
Since 2008, Loblaw Companies Limited has made an annual
corporate donation to Food Banks Canada to support their National
Food Sharing Program. To date, donations total $1.125 million, including a $250,000 donation in 2012. And, while Loblaw
grocery stores have always supported local food banks, since the
launch of the twice annual approach of the Extra Helping™
Food Drive campaign, Loblaw grocery stores have raised over
$4.2 million and over 4.6 million
pounds of food to support local food banks between 2009 and year to
date.
"We are committed to helping fight hunger in all communities
across Canada," says Peggy Hornell, Senior Director, Community
Investment, Loblaw Companies Limited. "If every customer can make
even a small food or cash donation - a box of the Extra
Helping™ PC ®Blue
Menu®Deluxe Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese Dinner, a
can of soup, bag of pasta or container of baby formula - it will
make a big difference for those in need."
In Alberta, the most needed,
non-perishable items include canned soups, canned vegetables,
canned fruits, canned meat, pastas or pasta sauces, and peanut
butter according to the Alberta Food Bank Network Association.
About Loblaw Companies Limited
Loblaw Companies Limited, a subsidiary of George Weston Limited,
is Canada's largest food retailer
and a leading provider of drugstore, general merchandise and
financial products and services. Loblaw is one of the largest
private sector employers in Canada. With more than 1,000 corporate and
franchised stores from coast to coast, Loblaw and its franchisees
employ more than 135,000 full-time and part-time employees. Through
its portfolio of store formats, Loblaw is committed to providing
Canadians with a wide, growing and successful range of products and
services to meet the everyday household demands of Canadian
consumers. Loblaw is known for the quality, innovation and value of
its food offering. It offers Canada's strongest control (private) label
program, including the unique President's
Choice®, no name® and
Joe Fresh® brands.
In addition, the Company makes available to consumers
President's Choice Financial® services and offers
the PC® points loyalty program.
SOURCE Loblaw Companies Limited