Today is Giving Tuesday, a day to promote generosity worldwide. We’re proud of the many charitable things we do to help Canadians live life well, but we’ll leave all that for another day.  Instead, and for the first time ever, we’re handing over our PC Optimum platform – a direct line to millions of Canadians like you – to our partners at Food Banks Canada and Second Harvest. We want to help them bring awareness to a cause we’re passionate about: fighting food insecurity in Canada.

We’ll let them take it from here.

Hi Canada,

For organizations like Food Banks Canada and Second Harvest, this isn’t just any #GivingTuesday. That’s because food insecurity has gone from being a troubling issue to a full-blown crisis. Total visits to food banks are up 35 per cent since 2019,1 and incredibly, 6.7 million Canadians are now using non-profit food services every single year.2

Perhaps you’ve heard that many of society’s most vulnerable are also the most impacted by this crisis – with women, children and marginalized communities affected the worst. Maybe you’ve heard the challenges of reigning in this issue – like the rise of inflation worldwide. Hopefully you know about the amazing efforts and people working to address the challenge – with thousands of facilities and volunteers pitching in across communities like yours.

Here’s something you might not know though –there are ways that we can help to ease this problem, and your actions today can have a great impact. Our two organizations would know.

Food Banks Canada works towards a Canada where no one goes hungry, by helping to keep local food bank shelves stocked, and by building capacity at the community food bank level to support their fresh food offering. Our programs include national food sharing, food rescue and advocating for policy change to tackle the root causes of poverty.

Second Harvest maintains an efficient food recovery network – linking surplus food with thousands of non-profit organizations that need it most, and that have the ability to effectively distribute it. As a result, we are able to help reach more than 4.3 million Canadians, ensuring food ends up on plates instead of landfills.

Here’s how you can help:

• Donate directly to either Food Banks Canada(Open in a new tab) or Second Harvest(Open in a new tab)

• This week, Loblaw has made it possible for you to donate your PC Optimum^TM points(Open in a new tab) to our organizations.

• From December 2-24, while you’re shopping at any of the Loblaw grocery stores listed below, donate to their holiday food drive in support of Food Banks Canada. Loblaw will match donations up to $100,000.

#GivingTuesday is an important day, and the holidays are an important time of year. Our thanks to Loblaw for donating $350,000 – $175,000 to each of our organizations– helping to kick-start the season. If you are able, please consider giving too. Quite simply, your contributions matter now more than ever. 

Kirstin Beardsley Chief Executive Officer Food Banks Canada

Lori Nikkel Chief Executive Officer Second Harvest

Participating stores in the holiday food drive: Loblaws, Zehrs, Your Independent Grocer, valu-mart, Fortinos, Provigo, Atlantic Superstore, Dominion Stores in Newfoundland and Labrador, Real Canadian Superstore, Maxi, No Frills, Extra Foods, Real Canadian Wholesale Club, Wholesale Club and Club Entrepôt.

1https://hungercount.foodbankscanada.ca/(Open in a new tab)2https://www.secondharvest.ca/resources/research(Open in a new tab)