Walmart Canada Sparks Change for Canadians Experiencing Food Insecurity

• 'Fight Hunger. Spark Change.' campaign aims to provide 15 million meals to families in need
• Walmart pledges to contribute up to $1 million to Food Banks Canada
• All food and monetary donations raised locally stay local to support food banks in different communities across the country

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Feb. 20, 2020 /CNW/ - Walmart is kicking off its annual national 'Fight Hunger. Spark Change.' campaign today to raise awareness about the food security crisis in Canada and raise enough funds to provide 15 million meals for Canadians in need¹ through Food Banks Canada.

No family should have to feel uncertain about when their next meal will be. Yet, 1 in 8 Canadian households has experienced food insecurity in the past year². This means that 12% of Canadian families are without reliable access to sufficient, affordable, nutritious food due to lack of money. To raise awareness and help keep Canadian families fed, Walmart's campaign, runs February 20 to March 18. Customers are invited to join Walmart and its supplier partners in the fight against hunger in four ways:

1. Food donation drop-off: Walmart stores across the country are accepting non-perishable food donations for local food banks. Donation bins can be found at the front of each store.
   
   
2. Donate in-store: Customers are given the opportunity to round up their purchase at the register to the nearest dollar to support the campaign. All donations made in-store, by customers, will support local food banks.
   
   
3. Donate online: Customers can make a $1, $2 or $5 donation online at Walmart.ca.
   
   
4. Purchase participating products: For every purchase (in-store and online at walmart.ca) of select products, participating brands will donate a portion of the proceeds to Food Banks Canada, up to a maximum of $1.2 million. Partners include: Bimbo Canada, Danone, Dare Foods, General Mills, Hershey, Kellogg's, Kraft Heinz, Maple Leaf Foods, Mars Canada Inc., McCormick Canada, Mondelez, Nestle, Pepsi Canada and Unilever. 

"No one should have to go hungry and Walmart Canada is committed to working with our generous customers, our supplier partners and Food Banks Canada to support the fight against hunger," said Haio Barbeito, president and CEO of Walmart Canada. "In the three years we have run the 'Fight Hunger. Spark Change.' campaign, we have helped to provide 35 million meals in local communities across the country to help fight food insecurity."

Walmart's $1 million donation commitment includes:

• A corporate match of in-store customer donations, up to a maximum of $820,000
• $100,000 to Food Banks Canada's retail food program, which allows food banks to pick up food donations from any retail location
• $80,000 to support Food Banks Canada's National Food Sharing System, which helps to acquire and share approximately 28 million pounds of food annually.

"Food insecurity across Canada is a continuing issue, with over a million visits to food banks per month last year. We remain committed in our vision of a Canada where no one goes hungry by providing food for those in need" said Chris Hatch, Chief Executive Officer of Food Banks Canada. "Walmart Canada has been a valued partner of hunger relief through campaigns such as 'Fight Hunger. Spark Change.' and we are encouraged to see Canadians joining the cause through donations of their own."

Walmart Canada supports local food banks in the fight against hunger
Today's fourth annual 'Fight Hunger. Spark Change.' campaign announcement builds on Walmart's continued efforts to support for Canadians in need. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are working to address surplus food use and food insecurity by supporting the work of the food bank network across Canada.

Since the campaign launched in 2017, Walmart Canada has raised 35 million meals for Canadians coast-to-coast, building on the more than 25 million pounds of food and $10.5 million Walmart has donated to food banks across the country over many years. Walmart stores across Canada pair up with food banks in their communities to ensure quality food is provided to those who need it most.

Walmart Canada and the Walmart Foundation also support the efforts of the food bank network to help food banks keep food fresh and safe during transportation and distribution within the community. In addition, the Walmart Foundation has invested nearly $6 million to build capacity among Food Banks Canada's 630 affiliate food banks, leading to more trucks, more refrigerators and more people to get food from all sources to those who need it most. These grants from the Walmart Foundation are the first step in a multi-year, multi-million-dollar commitment to strengthen food security across Canada.

About Walmart Canada
Walmart Canada operates a chain of more than 400 stores nationwide serving 1.5 million customers each day. Walmart Canada's flagship online store, Walmart.ca is visited by 900,000 customers daily. With more than 90,000 associates, Walmart Canada is one of Canada's largest employers and is ranked one of the country's top 10 most influential brands. Walmart Canada's extensive philanthropy program is focused on supporting Canadian families in need, and since 1994 Walmart Canada has raised and donated more than $400 million to Canadian charities. Additional information can be found at walmartcanada.ca, facebook.com/walmartcanada and at twitter.com/walmartcanada.

About Food Banks Canada
Food Banks Canada provides national leadership to relieve hunger today and prevent hunger tomorrow in collaboration with the food bank network in Canada. We are a national charitable organization dedicated to helping Canadians living with food insecurity. We support a unique network of provincial associations, affiliate food banks, and food agencies that work at the community level to relieve hunger. Our work focusses on maximizing collective impact, strengthening local capacity, and reducing the need for food banks in order to help create a Canada where no one goes hungry.

To learn more, visit www.foodbankscanada.ca or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn

^1 Goal is based on total supplier, customer and Walmart contributions received during the Fight Hunger, Spark Change campaign. The approx. cost to Food Banks Canada to secure a meal for those in need is $0.33. Goal is an estimate based on available data.
^2 Tarasuk V, Mitchell A, Dachner N. Household food insecurity in Canada, 2012. Toronto ON: Research to Identify Policy Options to Reduce Food Insecurity (PROOF); 2014.

SOURCE Walmart Canada

Lauren Fraser, Walmart Canada, [email protected] | 647-822-9288; Cheyenne Freitas, APEX Public Relations, [email protected] | 416-934-2112; Sylvie Pelletier, Food Banks Canada, [email protected] | 416-214-9009