Winnipeg Harvest and Rogers Step Up to the Plate to help more than 18,000 Manitobans

Manitoba food hampers will provide more than 393,000 local meals to support increased demand at food banks

Rogers employees in Manitoba volunteer to help organize, fill and distribute hampers

WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Aug. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stepping up to help address food insecurity facing many Canadian families, Rogers Communications’ Step Up to the Plate initiative with Food Banks Canada has arrived in Manitoba, delivering food hampers that will provide more than 393,000 meals for local food banks. These hampers will help fill the plates of more than 18,000 Manitobans across the province.

“Manitobans are part of our extended family at Rogers, and when our family needs help, it’s our responsibility to step up and pitch in, through food donations, volunteering, and more,” said Larry Goerzen, President of Alberta and Prairies, Rogers Communications. “Rogers has a long legacy of supporting our communities and giving back. This is our 60^th year as a company – certainly a year like no other – and we are here to roll up our sleeves and get to work so we can come through this together.”

The Step Up to the Plate initiative started in June at Rogers Centre in Toronto, with Rogers employee volunteers and their families filling food hampers with non-perishable food items that provide an individual with a week’s worth of meals. Now, trucks loaded with hampers and pallets of food are on the move, destined for communities across Canada, where an unprecedented 8 million meals will be provided to Canadians when the initiative is completed this summer. On arrival in Manitoba, local Rogers employee volunteers, are working with Winnipeg Harvest to organize and continue stuffing thousands of food hampers for distribution to local food banks to help those who need it most.

“This is an outstanding initiative by Rogers,” said Heather Stefanson, Manitoba’s Deputy Premier and Minister of Families. “The Manitoba government is very grateful for the donation that will provide nutritious meals to more than 18,000 people in our province. The leadership and corporate generosity shown by Rogers will help families struggling with meal disruption due to COVID-19. This substantial gift will have a meaningful impact for many Manitobans.”

As the country begins to reopen, the economic impact of the pandemic continues to be significant, affecting food insecurity and demand at food banks. According to Food Banks Canada, which supports over 3,000 food banks and community agencies from coast-to-coast-to-coast - including Winnipeg Harvest – many local food banks have been severely impacted by COVID-19, from decreased volunteers and donations to having to adapt their operations, making it more challenging to meet their clients’ needs.

“When COVID-19 struck Manitoba in March, Winnipeg Harvest distributed more food than any month in our 35-year history. Though we are slowly moving toward recovery, food insecurity and empty food bank shelves are still realities we face every day,” said Keren Taylor-Hughes, CEO, Winnipeg Harvest. “The arrival of these Step Up to the Plate trucks and Rogers volunteers is an incredible sight. This support will help us feed hard-working families, children, and adults, who are struggling through our provincial re-opening and economic recovery period. Thank you for ‘stepping up to the plate’ to nourish our communities – and our sense of community.”

Step Up to the Plate is part of The 60 Project, a year-long initiative to mark Rogers 60th anniversary by giving back and building a stronger Canada – from donations of time, money and fundraising support, to investing in Canada and the networks that connect our customers from coast-to-coast-to coast. We are bringing this commitment to life by partnering with community organizations like Food Banks Canada, Women’s Shelters Canada, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Pflag; investing in a 100% Canadian-based Customer Service team and in our networks to help Canada’s economy thrive and grow; and connecting the next generation to education and the support they need to build a bright future. The 60 Project is about making hope possible, right here, in the Canadian communities we call home.

And with Step Up to the Plate and other initiatives this year, our Rogers family – all 25,000 strong, including here in Manitoba – will come together to give back an unprecedented 60,000 volunteer hours. With action, we will stand together with those who need us most, to ensure that all Canadians have an opportunity to move forward to discover a new normal that is better than the one that came before.

About Rogers
Rogers is a proud Canadian company dedicated to making more possible for Canadians each and every day. Our founder, Ted Rogers, purchased his first radio station, CHFI, in 1960. We have grown to become a leading technology and media company that strives to provide the very best in wireless, residential, sports, and media to Canadians and Canadian businesses. Our shares are publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RCI.A and RCI.B) and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: RCI). If you want to find out more about us, visit about.rogers.com.

About Food Banks Canada
Food Banks Canada provides national leadership to relieve hunger today and prevent hunger tomorrow in collaboration with the food bank network from coast-to-coast-to-coast. For 40 years, food banks have been dedicated to helping Canadians living with food insecurity. Over 3,000 food banks and community agencies come together to serve our most vulnerable neighbours who – last year – made 1.1 million visits to these organizations in one month alone, according to our HungerCount report. Over the past 10 years, as a system we’ve sourced and shared over 1.4 billion pounds of food and Food Banks Canada shared nearly $70 million in funding to help maximize collective impact and strengthen local capacity – while advocating for reducing the need for food banks. Our vision is clear: create a Canada where no one goes hungry. Visit www.foodbankscanada.ca to learn more.

Media Contacts

Rogers – [email protected], 647-747-5118

Winnipeg Harvest - Kiersten Haight, [email protected], 204-229-9660 

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/89ea1106-6198-4246-992f-6c296060b4ee