How Companies Are Stepping Up for Childhood Food Security This Summer
Imagine a gathering that combines the energy of a sports event with the impact of a massive food drive. That’s what happens every year when over 1,000 volunteers assemble in Mississauga, Ontario, to pack bags full of nutritious, child-friendly foods. Acquired by Food Banks Canada, sometimes through corporate donations, these foods are for children at risk of going hungry during the summer months when the school-based nutrition programs they usually rely upon are closed.
This past May, the volunteers — invited from organizations that partner with Food Banks Canada — helped to prepare a portion of the 220,000 food packs destined for food banks and community organizations in 235 communities across the country through Food Banks Canada’s After the Bell program.
For companies, it’s a team-building activity and a tangible way to give back. “Packing Day is invigorating,” says Kirstin Beardsley, Food Banks Canada’s CEO. “What I love most is being in a room with so many people who are moved to join in and help out.”
Once the bags arrive in communities, food bankers add in fresh produce purchased locally with a program grant. A child served by the program typically gets multiple packs throughout the summer. They are often delighted to receive fresh fruit – one of the first things families tend to go without when they’re facing food insecurity. “It was wonderful to see children get excited over their After the Bell packs and dig into them like it was Christmas morning!” reports Mitch Thomson, Executive Director of Red Deer Food Bank Society in Alberta.
Beyond the kids’ enthusiasm, “watching the sense of relief on parents’ faces makes us know how appreciated these packs are,” says Lynda Hynes, Inventory Coordinator at Boundary Community Food Bank in British Columbia. “One dad who was new to our program said, ‘Are these for us?’ in disbelief. When we assured him they were indeed for his children, he cried.”
At any given time, children under 18 account for approximately one third of the clients of Canada’s food banks. They’re especially likely to experience hunger in summertime when school meal programs are not running.
Thanks to After the Bell’s sponsors and donors, more kids have the nutrition and energy they need to partake in summertime activities and keep their growing bodies healthy and strong.
One of these partners is WK Kellogg Co, whose Feeding Happiness™ sustainable business strategy is focused on supporting healthier, happier futures. “That means showing up for families when and where the need is greatest,” says general manager and VP sales Tony Petitti. WK Kellogg Co contributes funds and in-kind product to Food Banks Canada on an annual basis. “Providing cereal for these packs is a very tangible way we can help deliver nourishment to families,” says Petitti. “It was clear this was an opportunity to play a meaningful role. For many of our employees, it was also a reminder of the real impact behind the work we do every day.”
Kids also enjoyed apple-cinnamon instant oatmeal in their packs this year, thanks to the generosity of Quaker. Its parent company, PepsiCo Canada, is a longstanding Food Banks Canada partner. When After the Bell Packing Day was just getting started, PepsiCo Canada shared its valuable logistics expertise to help optimize the large event. Quaker has been a stalwart of After the Bell ever since, sponsoring it, supplying product, or both.
After the Bell also benefits from logistics partners such as TLS (Thomas, Large & Singer), which expands the reach of the program through an annual monetary gift and in-kind supports. Having shown exceptional commitment to Food Banks Canada’s mission since 2003, TLS brings extensive supply chain and operational expertise that helps ensure the efficient delivery of food packs throughout Canada. Both executives and employees can be found at the After the Bell Packing Event each year, demonstrating their hands-on dedication to the program.
Together, several brands, companies and foundations contribute to the growing scope and impact of After the Bell, which has so far been able to deliver more food packs with each passing year. With food insecurity at historic levels across the country, the need for it is greater than ever.
Nobody understands this better than food bankers. “When I was walking home from the food bank one day, I saw two young kids sitting in a grassy area with the distinctive bright green After the Bell bags next to them,” says Lesley Burgess, executive director of Bridges to Hope, a food aid centre in St. John’s, Newfoundland. “It made me think about my own experience as a child whose summers were punctuated by hunger. It drove home the impact of this program: it gives kids the chance to feel carefree and enjoy their summer. The importance of that cannot be overstated.”