{"id":1996,"date":"2022-07-15T18:28:56","date_gmt":"2022-07-15T18:28:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trucksforchange.org\/?p=1996"},"modified":"2022-07-15T18:28:56","modified_gmt":"2022-07-15T18:28:56","slug":"canadian-trucks-deliver-food-pack-to-battle-child-hunger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trucksforchange.org\/canadian-trucks-deliver-food-pack-to-battle-child-hunger\/","title":{"rendered":"Canadian Trucks Deliver Food Pack to Battle Child Hunger"},"content":{"rendered":"

(TORONTO: July\u00a0 14, 2022) \u2013 As it did after the final bells of the school year rang out last year, Canadian carriers \u2013 who are part of the\u00a0Canadian Trucking Alliance<\/a>\u00a0(CTA) and members of\u00a0Trucks For Change<\/a>\u00a0(T4C) \u2013 stepped up to deliver nutritious food packs to nearly 80 food banks across Canada throughout May and June. As part of Food Banks Canada\u2019s\u00a0After the Bell<\/em>\u00a0program, the Canadian trucking industry helped deliver 175,000 food packs to support food-insecure children in high-needs communities. Food Banks Canada\u2019s HungerCount 2021 reports that 33% of food bank users in Canada are children.\u00a0After the Bell<\/em>\u00a0was created to help fill the child hunger gap during the summertime when school meal programs are closed down.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike last year, for 2022 we continued our collaborative efforts with the Canadian Trucking Alliance. I am proud to say that for 2022 we were able to build on that experience to broaden our geographical reach by moving more pallets to more food banks\u201d said T4C chair, Scott Smith.<\/p>\n

\u201cCapacity challenges in 2022 certainly factored into this year\u2019s After the Bell program\u201d said the network\u2019s executive director, Betsy Sharples. \u201cBut that did not seem to deter Canadian trucking companies from doing what they could to support this important initiative that saw an increase of nearly 20% in Food Banks Canada\u2019s commitment in the number of food packs this year when compared to 2021\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe annual After the Bell program provides an ideal opportunity for our members to pay it forward and give back to Canadian communities\u201d, says CTA\u2019s CEO Stephen Laskowski. \u201cOur industry is full of people with generous hearts who live, work and play in all parts of this country, and it is a privilege to acknowledge their community contributions\u201d.<\/p>\n

Kirstin Beardsley, CEO of Food Banks Canada, is thankful for CTA\u2019s and T4C\u2019s support.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis summer will be the toughest Canada\u2019s food banks have ever experienced in our 41-year history,\u201d explains Kirstin Beardsley, CEO of Food Banks Canada.\u00a0 \u201cMany families with children are going for the first time, making the difficult choice to ask for help because the money simply isn’t stretching far enough to cover expenses.\u00a0That\u2019s why Food Banks Canada\u2019s After the Bell program is needed now more than ever. It\u2019s thanks to\u00a0our partners like Canadian Trucking Alliance and Trucks for Change, that we are able to continue helping those that need it most this summer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Participating Carriers include:<\/p>\n