HALIFAX, March 7, 2013 /CNW/ - TSX: L: - Building on the Extra Helping™ Food Drive program, Atlantic Superstore® locationsand Feed Nova Scotia are pleased to join efforts in a new initiative to
help fight hunger by participating in Food Banks Canada's new Retail
Food program. The program will provide fresh food (bakery, meat and
produce) to local food banks in Nova Scotia.
Close to 23,500 Nova Scotians rely on the assistance provided by food
banks each month - according to Food Banks Canada's annual HungerCount
Survey - this is a 39.3 per cent increase since 2008.
"Sadly, the need in our communities continues to grow. This program will
better enable us to serve our clients with a consistent flow of fresh
food," says Dianne Swinemar, executive director, FEED NOVA SCOTIA. "We
thank the Atlantic Superstore® team for working with us on this initiative and for being such a good
partner to us for many years."
With this new program, Atlantic Superstore® locations, in addition to their ongoing donation of non-perishable food,
will work with Feed Nova Scotia to set aside a mix of fresh food,
depending on product assortment and availability.
"Our grocery stores are proud to be part of the communities we serve and
we are pleased to have been able to develop an arrangement that helps
to increase the availability of fresh, quality food to those in need,"
says Philip McNeill, senior vice-president, Conventional Operations,
Atlantic Canada, Loblaw Companies Limited.
In 2012, Loblaw banner stores in Nova Scotia raised $100,000 and 22,000
pounds food donated by customers and colleagues during food drives held
at Atlantic Superstore®, Save Easy® and nofrills®stores.
"We are very excited and thrilled to be a part of this progressive
approach to help meet the needs of local and provincial food banks.
Across the country, Loblaw banner stores will participate in the Food
Retail program in Halifax, Montreal, Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver,"
says Peggy Hornell, senior director, Community Investment, Loblaw
Companies Limited.
Nationally, Loblaw banner stores have a long history of supporting food
banks in their local communities. Since the launch of the Extra Helping™ Food Drive campaign in 2009, Loblaw has raised over $5.6 million in
cash donations and 6.3 million pounds of food. Additionally, it has
donated $1.125 million corporately.
The 2013 Extra Helping™ Spring Food Drive kicks off on April 19, 2013, at Atlantic Superstore®, Save Easy® and nofrills®stores in communities across Nova Scotia.
About Loblaw Companies Limited
Loblaw Companies Limited, a subsidiary of George Weston Limited, is
Canada's largest food retailer and a leading provider of drugstore,
general merchandise and financial products and services. Loblaw is one
of the largest private sector employers in Canada. With more than 1,000
corporate and franchised stores from coast to coast, Loblaw and its
franchisees employ more than 134,000 full-time and part-time employees.
Through its portfolio of store formats, Loblaw is committed to
providing Canadians with a wide, growing and successful range of
products and services to meet the everyday household demands of
Canadian consumers. Loblaw is known for the quality, innovation and
value of its food offering. It offers Canada's strongest control
(private) label program, including the unique President's Choice®, no name® and Joe Fresh® brands. In addition, the Company makes available to consumers President's Choice Financial® services and offers the PC® points loyalty program.
About FEED NOVA SCOTIA
FEED NOVA SCOTIA is a provincial charitable organization that helps feed
hungry people by collecting and distributing food to more than 150 food
banks, shelters and meal programs throughout Nova Scotia. The charity
also works to alleviate chronic hunger and poverty through research,
awareness initiatives and client programming.
SOURCE: Loblaw Companies Limited
