Fuel your car, fuel your community!
LAVAL, QC, June 17, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - Circle K, a subsidiary of Alimentation Couche-Tard, the leader in the Canadian convenience store industry, today announced it has committed to donating a portion of its revenues from fuel transactions to Food Banks Canada. Across Canada, consumers who choose their local Circle K stores—or Couche-Tard stores in Québec—to purchase fuel will be supporting their local food banks. The company invites Canadians to fill up at Circle K locations, to help it reach or even surpass its objective of donating the equivalent of five million meals.
This initiative follows on the heels of earlier support to essential workers during the pandemic, including free coffee and tea for healthcare workers and first responders and Circle K's Little Thank Yous initiative. The company wishes to continue its efforts to counter the impact of COVID-19, this time by helping meet the pressing needs of food banks across the country—needs made even greater now in these difficult times.
Fuel your car, fuel your community!
As of June 15th, 2020, customers who fill up at any Circle K in Canada—or Couche-Tard stores in Québec—regardless of the affiliated fuel banner, will automatically see a portion of their purchase donated to Food Banks Canada over the next year, and this funding for food will be redistributed to support local food banks in the regions where the fuel transaction took place. Customers will also be able to make individual donations in store, with or without a fuel transaction, and these donations will be remitted directly to Food Banks Canada. The company set itself a goal of reaching the equivalent of five million meals, but the overall donation could be even more substantial if fuel sales are higher than anticipated over the next year.
To fill up and/or make a donation at your local Circle K, please consult our online store locator.
Food insecurity in Canada in figures
According to Food Banks Canada's 2019 Hunger Count,
- In 2019 well before the COVID-19 pandemic, there were more than a million visits to food banks each month, including nearly 375,000 visits by children;
- Also in 2019, 12% of households—about one in eight—said they had experienced food insecurity in the previous 12 months;
- One person in eight helped by Canada's food banks had a job; and
- Canadians over the age of 65 accessing food banks have increased by nearly 30 per cent between 2016 and 2019.
In addition to this new initiative, Circle K also invites customers who wish to do so to make a donation to Food Banks Canada via their website.
Quotes
"As an essential service, we have been on the front line during the pandemic and witnessed the impacts of this unprecedented health crisis. We have all been affected in one way or another by COVID-19, and at Circle K, we believe that all Canadian families should be able to get the food they need. This partnership with Food Banks Canada is a way for us to pay it forward and support our communities in these difficult times."
- Stéphane Trudel, Senior Vice President, Operations, Alimentation Couche-Tard
"These are hard times, and Canadians need to help each other. I am delighted that Circle K is helping in such a concrete way, to fight food insecurity, with this generous gift. Together, we can work towards our vision of a Canada where no one goes hungry."
- Chris Hatch, CEO, Food Banks Canada
About Circle K
Circle K is a subsidiary of Alimentation Couche-Tard, the leader in the Canadian convenience store industry. In the United States, it is the largest independent convenience store operator in terms of the number of company-operated stores. In Europe, Couche-Tard is a leader in convenience store and road transportation fuel retail in the Scandinavian countries (Norway, Sweden and Denmark), in the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), as well as in Ireland, and has an important presence in Poland.
In addition, under licensing agreements, more than 2,380 stores are operated under the Circle K banner in 15 other countries and territories (Cambodia, China, Egypt, Guam, Honduras, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Jamaica, Macau, Mexico, Mongolia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam), which brings the worldwide total network to more than 14,800 stores. circlek.com
About Food Banks of Canada
Food Banks Canada provides national leadership to relieve hunger today and prevent hunger tomorrow in collaboration with the food bank network from coast-to-coast-to-coast. For 40 years, food banks have been dedicated to helping Canadians living with food insecurity. Over 3,000 food banks and community agencies come together to serve our most vulnerable neighbours who – last year – made 1.1 million visits to these organizations in one month alone, according to our HungerCount report. Over the past 10 years, as a system we've sourced and shared over 1.4 billion pounds of food and Food Banks Canada, shared nearly $70 million in funding to help maximize collective impact and strengthen local capacity – while advocating for reducing the need for food banks. Our vision is clear: create a Canada where no one goes hungry. Visit foodbankscanada.ca to learn more.
SOURCE Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.
or interviews: Circle K, Antoine Kack, TACT, Tel.: 581-984-0159, [email protected]; Food Banks Canada, Taylor Barker, SPPR, Tel.: 519-209-2000, [email protected]
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