TORONTO, Dec. 20, 2013 /CNW/ - Staples is donating $275,000 to five Canadian charities through its 2 Million & Change program over the holiday season. The program is part of the retailer's global Staples Foundation, which supports programs that provide educational and job skill opportunities, with a special emphasis on disadvantaged youth.
The five charities benefiting from the grants are: Breakfast for Learning; Kids Help Phone; Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada; WWF-Canada and Junior Achievement. Staples Associates voted to help allocate grants to fund projects submitted by each organization.
The top grant of $120,000 will go to Breakfast for Learning to help fund a snack program for school children in need, and feed the equivalent of one classroom for an entire year.
"Many students come from low socio-economic and "fragile" populations. Some only eat one meal a day and often, the meal is not nutritious," said a teacher associated with the Breakfast for Learning program. "Having access to healthy food during their school day is vital for engagement, behavior and achievement."
Additional grant recipients are: Kids Help Phone at $90,000, WWF-Canada at $35,000, Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada at $15,000, and Junior Achievement at $15,000.
"We donated more than half a million dollars to deserving organizations over the past two years through this program," said Steve Matyas, president of Staples Canada. "Giving back to the community is embedded in our culture, and our Associates care about supporting worthy organizations that are working to make a difference."
2 Million & Change is one example of Staples' commitment to the local communities where Associates live and work.
About Staples Canada
Staples, Canada's largest office products company is committed to providing Canadians with a wide choice of office services and products. Serving all types of business -from the small home office to large enterprise - Staples makes it easy for customers to operate their offices efficiently and affordably by offering an extensive selection of office supplies, technology, electronics and office furniture as well as business services, including computer repair and maintenance, and copy and print services. Operating as Bureau en GrosMC in the province of Quebec and Staples Canada in all other provinces, the company employs over 15,000 associates at 330+ stores and at their head office in Richmond Hill, Ontario. Ranked as one of Canada's top ten Canadian companies in Marketing Magazine's Marketing/Leger 2013 Corporate Reputation Survey, Staples/Bureau en Gros is dedicated to offering customers the highest level of service, whether they choose to shop in-store, by catalogue or online.
Staples Canada/Bureau en Gros also is invested in a number of corporate giving programs that actively support environmental, educational and entrepreneurial initiatives in Canadian communities from coast to coast. Visit www.staples.ca for more information, or visit us on Facebook and Twitter @StaplesCanada.
About Staples Advantage Canada
As the commercial division of Staples, Staples Advantage works with companies of 20 or more employees to develop customized programs with dedicated account management and a complete assortment of products and services to meet business needs.
As the leading supplier in Canada, Staples Advantage works with business partners to provide office supplies, technology products, facility supplies, furniture, and business services. Staples Advantage Canada is headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, with eight distribution centres across Canada. Visit www.staplesadvantage.ca for more information, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Image with caption: "Elementary school students at a Breakfast for Learning funded nutrition program in Toronto, Ontario. (CNW Group/Staples Canada Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20131220_C6070_PHOTO_EN_35203.jpg
SOURCE: Staples Canada Inc.
Valerie Outmezguine, Public Relations Specialist, Staples Canada
905.737.1147 x 2426 / [email protected]
Alessandra Saccal, Head of Communications Canada, Staples Canada
905.737.1147 x 2363 / [email protected]
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