Fondation Tirelire Opens its Piggy Bank for L'Itinéraire - Pork Producers
Fight Food Insecurity

MONTREAL , Nov. 20 /CNW Telbec/ - The Fondation Tirelire, the Québec pork producers foundation, has donated $15,000 to Groupe L'Itinéraire, a community organization whose goal is to improve the living conditions of Montréal's homeless. A gift of meat representing 5,000 meals was also donated.

A dozen producers paired up with L'Itinéraire magazine's paper carriers and walked the streets of downtown Montréal. For a few hours, producers got a glimpse of the paper carriers' reality. Upon returning to Café l'Itinéraire, producers shared a meal of pork stew with the homeless thanks to Fondation Tirelire.

"I think that the pork producers who came to town today to sell the paper and share a meal are aware of the difficulties of street life despite living in the country," comments Normand Martineau , First Vice-President of the Fédération des producteurs de porcs du Québec. "Our foundation's mission is to fight hunger. Pork producers created this foundation because the well-being of their fellow citizens is important to them and today, they wanted to show their support."

Mr Jean-Paul Roulin, President of Fondation Tirelire added, "Our experience today was very enlightening. Fondation Tirelire is proud to be associated with this cause on our fifth anniversary. Pork producers sincerely want to make a difference and to help end food insecurity by taking concrete measures like we did today."

"Groupe L'Itinéraire gives out 30,000 meals every year to Montréal's homeless and to those in need at our café thanks to the financial support of organizations like Fondation Tirelire, the Fédération des producteurs de porc du Québec foundation," says Serge Lareault, General Manager of L'Itinéraire. "We are very happy to share this emotional day with Québec's pork producers who understand the significance and the extreme importance of the fight against food insecurity. By giving $15,000 to L'Itinéraire's social cause and by providing us with quality products for a year, producers are actively contributing to the well-being of those who need it most and thus to society as a whole. I would like to extend a warm thank you to the world of agriculture for this generous gesture and I hope that we will experience other great days like today as we continue our partnership in the future.

Images of the day were also captured by Les productions L'Itinéraire. The report entitled La campagne à la ville, la ville à la campagne illustrates the unlikely meeting between pork producers and the city's homeless and the enlightening exchanges that resulted from that meeting. Les productions L'Itinéraire, a work environment that promotes social reintegration was built on the same principal as L'Itinéraire magazine, targeting, in this case, street youth. Young people on the street face growing difficulties and their numbers are on the rise. Working within Les productions, they can rediscover their self-worth and set new life goals.

About Fondation Tirelire

The Fondation Tirelire was created in 2004. The foundation was started by Québec pork producers interested in helping people affected by hunger. By supporting organizations in the food industry, the Fondation Tirelire seeks to make history by making hunger history. In 2008, the Fondation Tirelire supported about 1,000 organizations distributing over 660,000 lb of ground pork meat which produced over 2 million meals. Since its inception, Fondation Tirelire has distributed over $250,000 to organizations working toward ending food insecurity.

www.fondationtirelire.com

About L'Itinéraire

Le Groupe L'Itinéraire is a not-for-profit organization that has been developing socio-economic projects since 1989. L'Itinéraire's projects aim to improve the living conditions of homeless individuals living with, among other things, alcoholism and drug addiction in Montréal. L'Itinéraire helps people find their place in society and build self-esteem by participating in projects such as L'Itinéraire magazine, Café L'Itinéraire and Les projets L'Itinéraire (a youth branch, for those between 18 and 30). L'Itinéraire also offers activities in reintegration and psychosocial rehabilitation services.

www.itineraire.ca

For further information: Stéphanie Fortin, Public Affairs Advisor, Fédération des producteurs de porcs du Québec, [phone], extension 8542, [email protected]; Source: Alain Thibaudeau, General Manager, Fondation Tirelire, [phone], extension 8547, [email protected]