Making Christmas a little brighter
In-store Holiday Food Drive in support of Summerside Salvation Army runs to Dec. 24
December 5, 2018 – For many Canadians, it’s easy to picture a holiday feast: platters generously heaping with delicious food and all the fixings. But for Canada’s 800,000 monthly food bank users, including 3300 in Prince Edward Island, holiday dinners don’t have the same ring. That’s why Atlantic Superstore locations and affiliated grocery stores across PEI have teamed up with local food banks for their holiday food drive, which is on now until December 24. This year, Atlantic Superstore is reminding community member that even a small donation is all it takes to enable us all to enjoy a special holiday dinner.
“We know that sometimes there’s a big difference between dinner at our own house and what’s on the table just down the street,” says Mark Boudreau, Communications Director, Loblaw Atlantic. “This year we want to inspire people in PEI to make meaningful donations of funds and food to our local food banks, so we can help bridge the gap between neighbours and make sure everyone has a happy holiday and nutritious food throughout the winter months.”
In the Summerside area, Summerside Atlantic Superstore and Kensington Your Independent Grocer will collect donations for the Summerside Salvation Army.
Statistics confirm that Canadians are closer to the issue of hunger than ever before. Nearly half of Canadians admit they know someone who has visited a food bank, up from 40% in 2012. But there’s some reassurance in the fact that 80 percent of people in a recent Food Banks Canada survey said that Canadians like themselves play a role in helping those in need.
“I think it goes to show that we know a lot about hunger in this country and this province, and have a strong will to change it,” says Mike MacDonald of the PEI Food Bank Association. “We hope the Atlantic Superstore holiday campaign will give community members across the province a reason to get out and donate so we can all enjoy the holidays together.”
This year Atlantic Superstore is calling for donations of nutritious non-perishable food items – think of healthy items you would choose to feed your own family – as well as baby food and money. It’s easy to donate: simply place food items in the special food drive bins in-store or make a monetary donation at the checkout.