Sobeys Atlantic food bank fundraising exceeds expectations

Sobeys Atlantic recent food donation and fundraising campaign is officially a success.

Aimed at supporting community food banks in the Atlantic provinces, the 'Fill the Food Bank. Fuel the Community' campaign raised more than $1 million in food and cash donations. The four-week campaign wrapped up last weekend.

Fundraising initiatives had been under way since November 12 throughout Sobeys' network of more than 300 stores, retail support centres, TRA Atlantic Wholesale Cash & Carry locations, as well as corporate offices in Atlantic Canada.

The donated food and funds will directly support local food banks and food bank associations. As Food Banks Canada figures show, in March 2009, over 70,000 individuals used food banks in Atlantic Canada. More than 25,000 of them were children.

As part of the campaign, community fundraising initiatives were held at all of the company's retail stores in the region, which include Sobeys, Foodland and Price Chopper. Customers could also buy $2 paper ornaments to support the cause or donate non-perishable food items at any of the aforementioned stores.

The importance of food banks is especially relevant now, as evidenced in data released yesterday by Food Banks Canada. A new report by the group shows that food-bank use in Canada has risen 9.2% in the past year. This is mostly attributed to the effects of the recession. In fact, the number of people using food banks is now at the highest level since 1997.