Campbell Canada helps hunger disappear on Hunger Awareness Day

Campbell encourages fellow citizens to pledge support to Food Banks Canada in recognition of national issue

TORONTO, May 31 /CNW/ - In recognition of Hunger Awareness Day on June 1, 2010 Campbell Company of Canada is taking its commitment to help alleviate hunger into communities across Canada. Throughout June and July, Campbell Canada will donate up to 100,000 cans of Campbell's(R) Condensed Vegetable Soup to Food Banks Canada through online and in-store Help Hunger Disappear(TM) activities in support of the almost 800,000 Canadians who rely on their local food bank every month.

"At Campbell Canada, we believe that all Canadians have a right to convenient, affordable and nutritious food and, as one of Canada's most recognized food manufacturers, we have a responsibility to take a lead role in helping to alleviate hunger across Canada," says Phil Donne, President, Campbell Company of Canada. "Campbell Canada has rallied around this cause at all levels of our organization. It has inspired us to pledge our support to Food Banks Canada through the annual donation of one million pounds of nourishing foods, funds, community programs and more. It's our hope that Help Hunger Disappear will similarly inspire Canadians to pledge their support to help to alleviate hunger in Canada."

Starting June 1st, Campbell is encouraging Canadians to make a difference and show their support for hunger relief by visiting www.facebook.com/CampbellCanada. There they can pledge to help by making a food donation at their local grocery store, volunteering their time at their local food bank, making a financial donation to Food Banks Canada or clearing out their pantry to donate to their local food bank. In thanks for every pledge, Campbell will donate a can of Campbell's Condensed Vegetable Soup to Food Banks Canada. The goal is to get 60,000 pledges and donate 60,000 cans in 60 days!

In addition to the online initiative, Campbell Canada will introduce for a limited time a new Help Hunger Disappear Campbell's Condensed Vegetable Soup can. This is the first time Campbell Canada has dedicated one of its iconic red and white cans to a charitable cause. The new Help Hunger Disappear cans will continue to raise awareness for the issue of hunger and encourage Canadians to donate nutritious foods to their local food banks during the summer. The cans will be available at grocery stores across Canada.

"Help Hunger Disappear not only raises awareness of the need for hunger relief and drives donations to Food Banks Canada, it reminds us that we can all play a part in helping hunger disappear," says Katharine Schmidt, Executive Director, Food Banks Canada. "With the help of Campbell Canada, Food Banks Canada will continue to address the short term need for food and longer term solutions."

There will also be Help Hunger Disappear events taking place in cities across the country throughout June. Canadians can help by visiting a participating Sobeys location where a large-scale display featuring the word "HUNGER" will be built out of thousands of Campbell's soup cans. Shoppers will be urged to remove the cans one-by-one, until the word "HUNGER" literally disappears. At the end of the day, all cans will be donated to the local food bank.

Help Hunger Disappear events in support of Food Banks Canada will take place in select regions across Canada, including:

    
    -   Edmonton, AB - June 1 at Millwood Commons, 5011-23 Avenue - Sobeys
    -   Toronto, ON - June 3 at 147 Laird Drive - Sobeys
    -   Vaughan, ON - June 3 at 9200 Bathurst St. - Sobeys
    -   Windsor, ON - June 3 at 7654 Tecumseh Rd. E - Sobeys
    -   Halifax, NS - June 17 at 961 Bedford Hwy, Bedford - Sobeys
    -   Saint John, NB - June 17 at 1 Plaza Avenue - Sobeys
    

For more information on how to participate and contribute to the goal of delivering 100,000 Campbell's soup cans to food bank shelves, please visit www.HelpHungerDisappear.com.

About Food Banks Canada

Food Banks Canada is the national charitable organization representing the food bank community across Canada. Our members and their respective agencies serve approximately 85 per cent of people accessing emergency food programs nationwide. Our mission is to meet the short term need for food and find long-term solutions to reduce hunger. Visit www.foodbankscanada.ca for more information.

About Campbell Company of Canada

Campbell Soup Company is a global manufacturer and marketer of high-quality foods and simple meals, including soup and sauces, baked snacks and healthy beverages. Founded in 1869, the company has a portfolio of market-leading brands, including "Campbell's," "Pepperidge Farm," "Arnott's" and "V8." With a soup plant located in Toronto, ON, Campbell Canada is a subsidiary of Campbell Soup Company. Through its corporate social responsibility program, the company strives to make a positive impact in the workplace, in the marketplace and in the communities in which it operates. Campbell is a member of the Standard & Poor's 500 and the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes. For more information, visit www.campbellsoup.ca.

For further information: to book an interview or for images of the new Help Hunger Disappear can, please contact: Melanie Rockliff, Campbell Company of Canada, [phone], ext. 8479, [email protected]; Elissa Zaks, Weber Shandwick Worldwide, [phone], [email protected]