Ontarians Take Action Against Hunger
In partnership with Feed Ontario, organizations and individuals across the province participated in Hunger Action Month
TORONTO, Oct. 07, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This September marked the fourth annual ‘Hunger Action Month’, a nation-wide campaign that encourages organizations, businesses, and individuals to take action against hunger in their communities.
Organized in partnership with Food Banks Canada and local food banks, Hunger Action Month encourages participants to ‘Feed Change’ through four key actions: educate, advocate, volunteer, and donate. Each week of the month features one of these key actions, and presents different opportunities for businesses and community members to take part in the event.
“Hunger and food bank use exist in every corner of our province,” says Amanda King, Interim Executive Director of Feed Ontario. “Hunger Action Month helps raise awareness of this growing problem, and encourages participants to engage their friends, communities, and elected representatives in ways that we can address hunger today, while looking for long-term solutions to poverty.”
There are a number of examples from across the province of how organizations, individuals, and food banks worked together to raise awareness, including volunteer days and food sorts with elected representatives at the local food bank, walk-a-thons, social media campaigns, and a post-card campaign highlighting Feed Ontario’s key recommendations for change.
Hunger Action Month also encouraged participants to support their local food bank through either fresh and non-perishable food donations or monetary support. Provincially, the 2019 campaign raised $100,000 for Feed Ontario, which is the equivalent of 300,000 meals and the highest amount of support raised through the campaign to date.
These results could not have been achieved without the incredible support of Feed Ontario’s partners, including Ontario’s Hunger Action Month sponsors: CGI, the Ontario Teachers’ Federation, and the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association, as well as Chicken Farmers of Ontario, who generously matched all online donations made to Feed Ontario between September 22nd – 30th, 2019.
The month also included events, in-store campaigns, and fundraisers with Feed Ontario partners, including: Sobeys Ontario Engineering & Real Estate Golf Tournament, CGI Walk Around the World, Berg Chilling Systems Walk for Hunger Action Month, SUBWAY® restaurants’ Feed Ontario Kids campaign, LCBO’s Provincial Coin Box Campaign, Thornbury Village Craft Cider’s “Apples For All Project”, Whole Foods Market’s One Dime at a Time campaign, Flat Rock Cellars’ Good Kharma Chardonnay, and The Cheesecake Factory’s featured slice.
“We would not be able to do what we do without the incredible support of our partners,” says King. “It is only by working together that we can truly end hunger and poverty in our province. We are grateful beyond words.”
To learn more about Hunger Action Month, please visit https://feedontario.ca/hunger-action-month.
About Hunger Action Month
During the month of September, Feed Ontario encourages the public to take action to end hunger in their communities through four key actions: educate, advocate, volunteer, and donate. Run in partnership with Food Banks Canada and local food banks, 2019 was the fourth year of the annual campaign in Ontario and the second year nationally.
About Feed Ontario
From Securing fresh and healthy food sources, to driving change through policy research and innovative programming, Feed Ontario unites food banks, industry partners, and local communities in our work to end hunger and poverty.
Join us as we Feed Ontario and help build a healthier province. Every $1 raised provides 3 meals to an Ontarian in need.
For more information, please contact:
Amanda King, Interim Executive Director
Feed Ontario
(416) 656-4100, amanda@feedontario.ca
