Walmart Canada launches Virtual Food Bank in response to HungerCount 2013
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Retailer donates $100,000 to Food Banks Canada to help support Canadian
Families in need
November 12, 2013 - In response to HungerCount 2013, Walmart Canada today announced the launch
of their first-ever virtual food drive to generate funds to support local food banks in improving access to
food and vital services for those in need. Walmart has one of the strongest community involvement
programs in Canada with a mission to support Canadian families in need.
In partnership with Food Banks Canada, Walmart Canada has set up an online fundraising campaign to
help families seeking assistance from food banks across the country. Canadians are invited to donate the
value of their favourite food, meal or personal product by visiting
http://support.foodbankscanada.ca/walmart. Funds raised will help local food banks provide much needed
food and household products to families in communities from coast-to-coast. The campaign will run from
November 12 to 30, 2013.
“Walmart is proud to partner with Food Banks Canada to help address the serious issue of hunger,” said
John Lawrence, director of corporate social responsibility for Walmart Canada. “Supporting Food Banks
Canada is a natural extension of our goal to help Canadian families in need. As a retailer, we’re
committed to offering healthy affordable food to as many people as possible.”
In addition to launching an online campaign, Walmart also announced a donation of $100,000 to Food
Banks Canada for its Retail Food Program, which aims to increase the support to food banks through the
donation of surplus food and household products. Walmart Canada has proudly supported the Retail
Food Program since July 2013 and provides support to over 200 organizations. The Retail Food Program
connects local food banks with Walmart Canada stores across the country.
“The Walmart Virtual Food Drive is a simple yet incredibly impactful way for Canadians to support their
communities,” said Katharine Schmidt, executive director of Food Banks Canada. “We thank Walmart
Canada for their ongoing support and encourage Canadians to rally behind this initiative, affirming the
work done by incredible staff and volunteers in over 3,000 food banks and food related programs across
Canada”
- 30 About Food Banks Canada
Food Banks Canada supports a unique network of food-related organizations in every province and
territory, which assists almost 850,000 Canadians each month. Together our network shares over 200
million pounds of essential, safe, quality food annually, provides social programs that help to foster selfsufficiency, and advocates for policy change that will help create a Canada where no one goes hungry.
Visit foodbankscanada.ca for more information or like us on Facebook or follow us on twitter at
FoodBanksCanada.
About Walmart Canada
Walmart Canada operates a growing network of 381 stores, employing 95,000 Canadians, and serving
more than one million customers each day. The company's vision is to demonstrate environmental
leadership by reducing the ecological impact of its operations through company-wide programs focused
on waste, energy and products, as well as outreach programs that preserve and enhance local
environments. Visit www.walmartcsr.ca for more company information or follow Walmart Canada on
Twitter at www.twitter.com/walmartcanada.
For further information:
Marzena Gersho, Food Banks Canada
(647) 242-5919 (mobile) or
(905) 602-5234 ext. 228 (office)