Loblaw's charity steps up to tackle childhood hunger
Loblaw's charitable organization will contribute $150 million over the next 10 years to help feed hungry Canadian school children and educate them about the importance of good nutrition.
The fundraising and corporate support will be delivered through the grocery giant’s President’s Choice Children’s Charity, which gave grants totalling $15 million in 2016. The charity has previously focused on reducing childhood hunger as well as assisting children with special needs. Beginning in 2018, the charity will focus exclusively on child hunger and nutrition and increase the funding for that cause. Last year, PC Children’s Charity spent $6.1 million on childhood hunger, that will rise to $15 million in 2018.
The 10-year commitment to fighting hunger was announced by Loblaw Companies Limited. CEO Galen Weston at a school in Toronto’s east end Thursday morning.
Childhood hunger is a serious problem in Canada effecting 1.1 million children across the country, said Weston. And as Canada’s largest grocer, Loblaw has a “responsibility” to raise awareness and support to tackle the problem. “As our country embarks on the next 150 years, nothing will create better conditions for success than feeding and nourishing our kids,” he said. “Well-fed kids change the world for the good.”
Loblaw Companies Limited covers the costs of administration and operations for President’s Choice Children’s Charity so that every dollar donated goes to helping kids. The charity raises money through various fundraising efforts including a customer donation campaign (raised $4.9 million in 2016), colleague donation campaign ($1.6 million) the PCCC Bowlerama Classic ($1 million) and the PCCC golf tournament ($1.85 million).
“We know that a hungry or poorly nourished child will never reach his or her full potential,” said Sarah Davis, chair of the President’s Choice Children’s Charity and president of Loblaw. “In a country as prosperous as Canada, it is unacceptable that so many children are unfed or underfed daily.”
The new funding program will have two pillars, she said. “The first pillar is to feed kids good food so they can reach their full potential. The second pillar is to feed kids food knowledge, to empower them to make healthy, responsible and better informed food choices.”
About half of the funding will go to supplying more food to children through school and community programs and other organizations that tackle childhood hunger. “In 2018, PC Children’s Charity will help feed more than 500,000 Canadian children breakfasts, snacks and lunches each day,” said Davis. “That number will steadily increase, with a goal of closing the gap to all 1.1 million children at risk of going to school hungry.”