TORONTO – A recent Dempster's poll revealed that Canada is a sandwich-loving nation. Seventy-seven per cent (77%) of Canadian parents plan to send their kids to school with a sandwich in their lunch this fall, and a staggering eighty-eight per cent (88%) say they eat sandwiches themselves. But, not all Canadians can easily afford to eat them as evidenced by the more than the 860,000 Canadians who use food banks every month according to Food Banks Canada.
This unfortunate reality has inspired Dempster's to be part of a positive solution by donating up to two million slices of bread to local food banks across Canada. They're also asking Canadians to join them with the Buy a Lunch, Give a Lunch initiative from August 23 to October 3, 2018.
"We want to celebrate that Dempster's is made by Canadians, for Canadians," says Frayan Mama, Senior Marketing Manager, Dempster's. "We know Canadians value kindness and generosity, as do we, so we are asking our caring customers to join in to Buy a Lunch to Give a Lunch to those who need it most."
For every Dempster's product purchased between August 23 and October 3, two slices of bread will be donated to Canadian food banks, up to 110,000 loaves of bread. Canadians can follow the donation progress at buyalunch.dempsters.ca.
The Dempster's poll also revealed that eighty-five per cent (85%) of Canadians say that buying Canadian-made products matters to them, and eighty-two per cent (82%) of people say it matters more to them today than it did one year ago. As Canadians are becoming prouder of products made at home, it's a fitting time to remind Canadians that Dempster's has been baking great-tasting, fresh baked bread for more than 100 years in 12 bakeries across the country.
"When Dempster's approached us about this generous donation, in support of food banks across Canada, we were thrilled," says Chris Hatch, CEO of Food Banks Canada. "Having the support of partners like Dempster's is a great way to help their neighbours in a real and meaningful way, from coast-to-coast."
Canadians Want to Help End Hunger
A parent's top priority is ensuring the safety, health and wellbeing of their children, and when it comes to hunger, research from Dempster's shows that Canadian parents also want to be part of the solution. Eighty-five per cent (85%) of parents said they would send their child to school with an extra sandwich for a hungry friend.
But, hunger hides, so sadly, this isn't a viable solution. And, many parents struggle to put a meal on the table or a lunch in a lunch box. According to Food Banks Canada, approximately forty per cent (40%) of food distributed by Canadian food banks is fresh, so donations in kind of products like bread, milk, eggs, fruit and vegetables are essential.
"When Canadians buy Dempster's bread this fall, they'll know that they are helping a fellow Canadian who is struggling to put food on the table. It's a simple action that has a big impact across the country," says Mama. "At Dempster's, we're proud to do our part and hope Canadians feel proud too when they purchase our product."
About Dempster's Bakery
Dempster's Bakery is Canada's Bakery committed to baking nutritious, great-tasting, fresh-baked grain breads that nourish Canadians, their families and the communities we serve. With 12 bakeries from British Columbia to Newfoundland, Dempster's bakes and delivers fresh bread to Canadians every day at mass market, club, grocery and drug stores across Canada. For more information, please visit Dempsters.ca.
About Canada Bread Company, Limited
Canada Bread Company, Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Grupo Bimbo since May 2014, is a leading producer and distributor of packaged fresh bread and bakery products with brands such as Dempster's®, Villaggio®, POM®, Bon Matin®, Ben's®, Vachon® and Stonemill®. In business for more than 100 years, the Company operates 19 bakeries and employs approximately more than 4,800 associates across Canada. For more information, please visit www.canadabread.com.
About Food Banks Canada
We provide national leadership to relieve hunger today and prevent hunger tomorrow in collaboration with the food bank network in Canada. Together, the food banking network assists over 860,000 Canadians who turn to food banks each month. Food Banks Canada leads national research to advance public policy so that we can build a Canada where no one goes hungry. For further information, please visit www.foodbankscanada.ca.
About the Research Study
An online survey of 1,521 Canadians (including 441 parents with children under 18) was completed by Leger Research between July 20 and July 24, 2018, with their online panel. The margin of error for this study was +/-2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
Source: Canada Bread Company, Limited
