Food Banks Canada Cranks Up the Volume on Hunger

Challenges Canadians to end silence surrounding hunger in Canada and give hunger a voice during Hunger Awareness Week (May 5-9)

TORONTO, May 5, 2014 /CNW/ - During Hunger Awareness Week (May 5-9) Food Banks Canada is challenging Canadians to break the silence surrounding hunger in Canada by voicing their stories, their concerns, their support and their solutions for hunger on its online story wall. By showcasing the multitude and strength of voices of hunger across Canada, Food Banks Canada wants to showcase the impact hunger has on Canadians from coast to coast to coast and stimulate conversations about the need to solve it.

"Almost 850,000 Canadians are helped by a food bank each month. However, often their families, friends and colleagues don't know their fridge and cupboards are empty," says Katharine Schmidt, Executive Director, Food Banks Canada. "Through our Give Hunger a Voice campaign we want to show those who are hungry in Canada that they are not alone and that people from coast to coast believe hunger in Canada is an unacceptable and solvable problem."

Food Banks Canada's digital story wall features hunger-related videos, photos and written submissions from food bank clients, volunteers, donors and concerned Canadians and its goal is to grow the voices exponentially. From today through May 9, it is inviting all Canadians to voice:

• Their personal story of hunger
• A supportive message to those living with hunger
• Their concern about hunger in Canada
• What they are doing to help people who are hungry in Canada

To encourage contributions to the story wall, at the close of Hunger Awareness Week, Food Banks Canada will select one post, and donate the equivalent of $1,000 worth of food to the poster's Canadian food bank of choice.

The voice of hunger will be heard even more clearly on Thursday, May 8, when Parliamentarians from across the country gather for a breakfast on Parliament Hill to hear some of these stories and learn more about hunger in Canada.

To spread the word about the wall and the campaign, please tweet using #HungerWeek. For more information on Hunger Awareness Week and to see, or contribute to, the online story wall please visit http://foodbankscanada.ca/GiveHungerAVoice

We are grateful for the support of the generous corporate citizens and individuals who help make Hunger Awareness Week possible. Thank you to Hunger Champion Farm Credit Canada and Hunger Heroes Campbell Company of Canada, CitiFinancial, General Mills, Great-West Life, Investors Group Financial Services Inc., Kellogg Canada Inc., Kraft Canada Inc., McCain, Nutella, SCA - Tork, and Trailer Wizards.

About Hunger Awareness Week
Hunger Awareness Week is a movement to raise awareness about the solvable problem of hunger in Canada. Food banks across the country host events during Hunger Awareness Week to tell the story of the work they do and the stories of the hungry Canadians who use food banks.

About Food Banks Canada
Food Banks Canada supports a unique network of over 3,000 food-related organizations in every province and territory that assists close to 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 self-sufficiency, and advocates for policy change that will help create a Canada where no one goes hungry. Visit foodbankscanada.ca for more information.

Video with caption: "Video: Food Banks Canada Cranks Up the Volume on Hunger". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20140505_C6538_VIDEO_EN_39936.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20140505_C6538_PHOTO_EN_39936.jpg&clientName=Food%20Banks%20Canada&caption=Video%3A%20Food%20Banks%20Canada%20Cranks%20Up%20the%20Volume%20on%20Hunger&title=FOOD%20BANKS%20CANADA%20%2D%20Food%20Banks%20Canada%20Cranks%20Up%20the%20Volume%20on%20Hunger&headline=Food%20Banks%20Canada%20Cranks%20Up%20the%20Volume%20on%20Hunger

SOURCE: Food Banks Canada

Media Contact:
Katherine Clark
Cowan & Company
[email protected]
[phone] ext. 55

Marzena Gersho
Food Banks Canada
[email protected]
[phone] x228