Target Canada Donates $160,000 to The Salvation Army's School Nutrition Program

Part of retailer's commitment to providing families in need with access to food and education

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Nov. 26, 2013 /CNW/ - As part of its commitment to assisting families in need by providing access to food and education, Target Canada today announced a $160,000 donation to support The Salvation Army's meal and snack program for school-aged children in 22 communities across Canada. With an emphasis on healthy, nutritious foods including fresh fruit and vegetables, the program provides a range of support such as hot breakfasts and lunches, after school snacks and weekend backpack programs.

"Target has a strong history of giving back to the communities in which we operate and we are pleased to continue this legacy of giving in Canada," said Derek Jenkins, senior vice president, External Relations, Target Canada.  "Canadians told us that alleviating poverty and providing access to food and education is their number one concern so we are pleased to partner with The Salvation Army on this worthwhile program that ensures kids are well-nourished and ready to concentrate while they're in school."

Earlier this year Target asked Canadians, through its social media Give With Target campaign, to identify the types of community initiatives that they would like Target to support.  The campaign results, combined with third party research and feedback from community leaders across the country, revealed that a top concern of Canadians is the alleviation of poverty through access to food and education.  Target leveraged the social campaign to donate more than $1 million to various charities and used the combined feedback to inform its national giving platform.

It is estimated that one in seven children go to school hungry. In the past year, The Salvation Army provided more than 150,000 meals through breakfast, lunch and snack programs for school-aged children.

"We know that children can't focus on learning if they are hungry or poorly nourished and it is estimated that a staggering one in seven children go to school hungry," said Captain Les Marshall, Territorial Public Relations and Development Secretary for The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda. "Target is a valued partner in our work toward ensuring that children and youth in Canada have access to sufficient and nutritious food, as this is critical to their success in school."

The $160,000 donation will provide healthy, nutritious foods for meal/snack programs for school-aged children in 22 communities across Canada. Participating communities and programs include:

British Columbia
Abbotsford (School Snack Program), Kootenay Valley (Lunch Program), Maple Ridge (Lunch Program), Mt. Arrowsmith (School Snack Program), Prince George (After School Program)

Alberta
Red Deer (Weekend Backpack Program)

Saskatchewan
Regina (School Lunch and Weekend Backpack Program)
Saskatoon (Hot Breakfast Program)

Manitoba
Winnipeg (After School Program)

Ontario
East Toronto (After School Program), Kingston (After School Program), London (Lunch Program), Newmarket (Lunch Program), Scarborough (Breakfast Program), St. Thomas (Lunch Program), Thunder Bay (Breakfast Program), Toronto Regent Park (After School Program)

Quebec
Shawinigan (Weekend Breakfast Program)

Nova Scotia
Dartmouth (Lunch Program)

New Brunswick
Moncton (Breakfast Program)

Prince Edward Island
Charlottetown (After School Program)

Newfoundland
St. John's (Lunch Program)

About Target
Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) serves guests at 1,888 stores - 1,797 in the United States and 124 in Canada - and at Target.com. Since 1946, Target has given 5 percent of its profit through community grants and programs; today, that giving equals more than $4 million a week. For more information about Target's commitment to corporate responsibility, visit target.ca/corporateresponsibility.

About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is an international Christian organization that began its work in Canada in 1882 and has grown to become the largest non-governmental direct provider of social services in the country. The Salvation Army gives hope and support to vulnerable people today and every day in 400 communities across Canada and in more than 125 countries around the world. The Salvation Army offers practical assistance for children and families, often tending to the basic necessities of life, provides shelter for homeless people and rehabilitation for people who have lost control of their lives to an addiction.

When you give to The Salvation Army, you are investing in the future of marginalized and overlooked people in your community.

SOURCE: Target Canada

Lisa Gibson, Target Public Relations, [phone]
Target Media Hotline, [phone]