Food Banks Canada Urging Canadians to Help Fill 26 Million Plates Needed for Canada's Hungry this Summer

#EveryPlateFull campaign asks Canadians to show support by posting empty plates on social media and making food & fund donations from May 2 to 8

TORONTO, April 30, 2015 /CNW/ - With 26,548,725 plates needed to feed hungry Canadians this summer, Food Banks Canada is asking Canadians to help make #EveryPlateFull in a new national fundraising campaign running from May 2 to 8. As food bank donations are at their lowest from June to August, food banks and provincial food bank associations across Canada are depending on the inaugural #EveryPlateFull campaign to raise the food and funds they need to provide essential food all summer long.

"During the summer months, hunger is not top-of-mind for many Canadians but unfortunately hunger doesn't take a summer holiday," says Katharine Schmidt, Executive Director, Food Banks Canada. "This summer 918,724 Canadians will turn to food banks for help and we want to make sure every plate they need is full."

Schmidt says the summer is a particularly difficult time for families living with food insecurity as school supported breakfast and lunch programs close with the schools for the holidays. As 37 per cent of the people turning to food banks for help are children, school holidays combined with the traditional drop in summer donations put a tremendous stress of families struggling to get by.

To show support for Canada's hungry and raise awareness of this campaign, Food Banks Canada is asking Canadians to post a picture of an empty plate on social media along with #EveryPlateFull and a link to www.everyplatefull.ca to encourage donations. The goal is to have thousands of different types of plates posted – fine dining, everyday kitchen, chipped, brand new and even paper – to illustrate how widespread hunger is in Canada.

"With every dollar donated, food banks are able to provide three meals to Canadians in need so when we say 'every dollar counts' we really mean it," adds Schmidt.*

Canadians who would like to help fill the plates of Canada's hungry this summer, are asked to make a monetary donation through www.everyplatefull.ca to a participating food bank or provincial food bank association.

*The meal value was developed with the support of Farm Credit Canada

About Food Banks Canada

Food Banks Canada is the national charitable organization representing and supporting the food bank community across all of Canada. Our network of 550 food banks support 85 per cent of people turning to food banks help. Together, we strive to  relieve hunger today and prevent hunger tomorrow. Visit foodbankscanada.ca for more information.

SOURCE Food Banks Canada

Video with caption: "Video: Every Plate Full Campaign". Video available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwR8FYymR_4

Media Contact: Marzena Gersho, Food Banks Canada, [email protected], [phone] x228, [phone]; Katherine Clark, Cowan & Company, [email protected], [phone] ext. 55