METRO donates $1 million to launch the second edition of its annual campaign in support of food banks
November 1, 2023 - At a time when the issues of food insecurity and access to basic necessities are more important than ever, METRO is launching the second edition of its annual Healthy Together fundraising campaign to benefit food banks in Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick. From tomorrow until November 22, customers will be invited to donate at the checkout during a visit to Metro, Super C, Adonis and Première Moisson stores. The campaign will be rolled out in December at Jean Coutu and Brunet, as well as in Metro and Food Basics stores in Ontario.
The Healthy Together campaign joins the Récupartage supermarket recycling program in Quebec and the One More Bite program in Ontario, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Every week, the food recovery program redistributes unsold products that are still fit for consumption, collected by our partners in METRO stores in both provinces. In 2022 alone, the company donated the equivalent of over $50 million worth of food, 4.5 million kilos of food or the equivalent of 9 million meals.
"The Healthy Together campaign, as well as the food recovery program we've been supporting for a decade, reflect our purpose to nourish the health and well-being of our communities, and enable METRO to make a concrete difference in the communities where we operate," says Marie-Claude Bacon, Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications at METRO. "To mark the launch of this second edition, METRO is proud to double its corporate contribution over last year with a donation totalling $1,050,000 to its three partners: Feed Ontario, Les Banques alimentaires du Québec and Food Depot Alimentaire in New Brunswick."
“As more families face financial hardship in our province, food banks are experiencing skyrocketing demand and many are concerned about being able to continue to meet the needs in their communities,” said Carolyn Stewart, CEO at Feed Ontario. “We are so grateful for this incredible gift from METRO. Their continued generosity and commitment to helping those facing hunger is vitally important to ensuring food banks can be there for Ontarians who need them across the province.”
"One person in 10 in Quebec must rely on food aid every month. It's a sad fact! Our members work hard to ensure that no one goes hungry," commented Martin Munger, General Manager of Les Banques alimentaires du Québec. "This campaign demonstrates the boundless generosity and support of METRO and its banners towards our network. On behalf of all our members, thank you! Thank you for helping us feed Quebecers!"
Thanks to METRO's inaugural Healthy Together campaign, $2.8 million were donated in 2022 to support our community partners. With every dollar received, Ontario food banks can provide the equivalent of two meals.
