More than 40,000 meals will be served to 1,000 youth from underprivileged areas
MONTREAL, Aug. 4, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - Moisson Montréal and Sodexo are organizing the 14th annual grand BBQ as part of the Feeding Our Future® program, benefiting youth who receive food aid from day camps operated by community groups. The two organizations, having made a commitment 14 years ago to serve more than 40,000 lunch boxes every summer, plan this annual BBQ to help 750 children celebrate summer by enjoying delicious meals prepared by program volunteers.
Hunger doesn't take a vacation when school is out. The Feeding Our Future® program was created to provide summer food aid when school food services are no longer available. Children dealing with food insecurity also feel the stress of this situation, so a summer party is just the thing! There will be several animated activities, such as dance, graffiti and make-up workshops, as well as inflatable games and a lively musical concert by the Eastern Regional Cadet School of Music during the day.
It is important to note that among the 140,000 individuals receiving food aid from Moisson Montréal every month, almost a third are children. "At Moisson Montréal, we are committed to getting involved in programs that reduce the food insecurity that afflicts thousands of Montrealers. We cannot thank Sodexo enough for their engagement over the last 14 years. This partnership is a precious one and essential to sustaining such a large-scale program. Moisson Montréal is looking for more companies willing to implement programs that will help us make a difference in the lives of thousands of young Montrealers," explains Dany Michaud, Executive Director of Moisson Montréal.
"Hunger has been a cause near and dear to our hearts for many years. As parents, brothers and sisters, it is devastating to think that so many young children are still going hungry in 2015. That's why the Feeding Our Future® program has been a key part of our activities for nearly 15 years," adds Katherine Power, Vice President of Communications at Sodexo Canada.
"It is an honour for me to support, once again this year, such a unique and essential program. As a nutritionist, I find it hard to accept that so many children are growing up hungry. Without food, they won't have the energy needed to learn, play and grow! For me, it is therefore crucial to get involved in this program that improves the future of our young ones by providing them with healthy and balanced lunch boxes," confirms Isabelle Huot, program spokespersons for the ninth consecutive year.
Healthy meals
The lunch boxes provided to youth are prepared every morning in Sodexo's installations by volunteers, mostly managers, and Moisson Montréal's employees before being distributed to 13 Montreal-area day camps operated by community groups, which already receive year-round aid from Moisson Montréal. These day camps include, Centre Bon Courage, Centre Jean-Claude-Malépart, Centre NAHA, Centre communautaire Hochelaga, Centre Sportif La Petite-Bourgogne, Centre du Plateau, Oasis des enfants de Rosemont, Maisonnette des parents, Association sportive Centre-Sud, Centre communautaire de loisirs de la Côte-des-Neiges, Place des enfants, Camp l'Envol and Répit-Providence.
About The Feeding Our Future® Program
Founded in 2000 by the Sodexo Foundation, Feeding Our Future® is a program that offers free meals in 9 important cities across Canada during the summer period to children who benefit from subsidized meals during the school year. In addition to supplying some of the food for lunch-making free of charge, Moisson Montréal has the mandate to select the day camps that benefit from the program and act as liaison between the camps and Sodexo.
About Sodexo Canada
Sodexo has been delivering On-Site Services in Canada for over 40 years. Recognized as a strategic partner, Sodexo Canada is dedicated to providing Quality of Life Services for clients, their employees and visitors in the corporate, education, healthcare and remote sites segments. These Quality of Life Services create healthy, safe, and efficient environments allowing individuals and organizations to grow and succeed. Delivering food and facilities management services for over 200 clients, Sodexo is a market leader in Canada in terms of revenue and consumers served, and has been recognized as a top employer for the past five consecutive years. Sodexo Canada is proud to have created the Sodexo Foundation, an independent charitable organization that has donated more than 1 million meals to at risk youth in Canada since it was founded in 2000. For more information, please visit www.sodexo.ca, or follow us on Twitter @SodexoCanada.
About Moisson Montréal
A non-profit organization founded in 1984, Moisson Montréal is today the largest food bank in Canada. Through its centre for collecting, sorting and distributing emergency food assistance, the organization allocates nearly 800 tons of food per month to more than 240 accredited community organizations on the Island of Montreal. In turn, these organizations provide food assistance to 140,000 people, including 40,000 children between the ages of 0 and 5. Moisson Montréal receives funding and supplies mainly through donations. Its operations require the collaboration of nearly 8,000 volunteers each year and result in the redistribution of about 13 million kilos of foodstuffs, representing a total value of close to $61 million. Winner of the 2015 Novae Corporate Citizenship Prize in the Supply category for its Food Recovery Program with Supermarkets. For additional information: www.moissonmontreal.org
SOURCE MOISSON MONTREAL
Image with caption: "Feeding Our Future Program Barbecue organized by Moisson Montréal and Sodexo. Over 750 children from disadvantaged neighborhoods are here today. Tuesday, August 4th 2015 at Jean-Claude-Malépart Centre. (CNW Group/MOISSON MONTREAL)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150804_C1511_PHOTO_EN_470534.jpg
To request additional information or an interview, please contact: Alexandra Carpentier, Coordinator, Communications, Moisson Montréal, P: 514 344-4494, ext. 239 | M: 514 701-4206, [email protected]
Share this article