Share Your Holiday Meal with 50,000 Families in Need

"Maple Leaf is joining Canadians to share a holiday meal with 50,000 families in need. (CNW Group/Maple Leaf Foods Inc.)".

More than 1 in 8 families across Canada struggle to put food on the table. This holiday season, Maple Leaf is joining consumers to Feast it Forward and provide a nourishing meal to 50,000 families in need across the country.

"The reality that 1 in 6 children live with food insecurity is inconceivable in a country with as much abundance as Canada," said Lynda Kuhn, Senior Vice President, Sustainability and Public Affairs, Maple Leaf Foods.  "Through Feast it Forward, our goal is to help families in need and raise awareness of this social issue and the efforts of organizations that are advancing sustainable food security in ways that build individual self-worth and local capacity. While this is a season when compassion and giving have prominence, alleviating hunger requires longer-term interventions and Maple Leaf plans to have a meaningful role."

Between Dec. 1, 2015 and Dec. 31, 2015, Maple Leaf will donate holiday hams and turkeys for every Maple Leaf product purchased in retail stores across Canada. The Company is partnering with 18 not-for-profit hunger relief organizations to donate these products to nourish 50,000 families in need. The Company will be profiling these organizations on social media to raise critical awareness about their actions to support hunger relief and sustainable food security.

Partnering Organizations

Organizations
Alberta

• Calgary Food Bank
• Edmonton Food Bank

British Columbia

• Greater Vancouver Food Bank

Manitoba

• Winnipeg Harvest

Nova Scotia

• Feed Nova Scotia

Ontario

• Ontario Food Bank Association and its members:
  • Brantford Food Bank
  • Daily Bread Food Bank
  • Feed the Need, Durham Region
  • Guelph Food Bank
  • Hamilton Food Share
  • Salvation Army, Hamilton
  • Salvation Army, Hanover
  • Mississauga Food Bank
  • Food Bank of Waterloo Region
  • Stratford House of Blessing

Quebec

• Moisson Montreal

Saskatchewan

• Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre

Information and updates will be available on Maple Leaf's Facebook page, from the Company's twitter account, @MapleLeafFoods, and on Appehtite.ca, Canada's kitchen. Consumers are encouraged to share their stories about how they are helping to Feast it forward on social media and follow the hashtag #FeastitFoward.

"Solving hunger and food insecurity in Canada goes well beyond the holiday season," added Lynda. "It's our goal to support initiatives and community partnerships that are meaningfully tackling food insecurity year-round."

To learn more about Maple Leaf's community involvement priorities, please visit www.mapleleafsustainability.com

Maple Leaf Foods Inc. is a leading Canadian consumer protein company, making high quality, innovative products under national brands including Maple Leaf®, Maple Leaf Prime®, Maple Leaf Natural Selections®, Schneiders®, Schneiders Country Naturals® and Mina™. The Company employs approximately 12,000 people across Canada and exports to global markets, including the U.S. and Asia. The Company is headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario and its shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (MFI).

SOURCE Maple Leaf Foods Inc.