Salvation Army to focus on Hunger Awareness Week.

by British Columbia
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Today marks the beginning of Hunger Awareness Week, May 6 – 10, and The Salvation Army is encouraging all Canadians to take a moment to recognize all of those who go hungry or who do not know where their next meal will come from. May represents Dignity Month, a time of year when The Salvation Army promotes a core belief, that dignity is a fundamental right for all.

“This week and every week, The Salvation Army looks forward to a time when no one in Canada goes hungry,” said Andrew Burditt, National Director of Marketing and Communications for The Salvation Army Territorial Headquarters for Canada and Bermuda.  “We served more than 2.8 million meals to people in need in 2012, and we will continue to serve and fight to end hunger because we believe everyone deserves dignity and access to nutritious food.”

Hunger is an issue that has a grip on too many Canadians, and in recent years, The Salvation Army has seen more and more people turning to the organization for food assistance. A 2012 report from The Salvation Army, “Feeding Canada’s Families: A Report on Salvation Army Food Services,” found that 70 percent of food banks saw an increase in families served through their programs year over year. Additional findings included:

  • Almost a third of Salvation Army food banks have seen a decrease in donations at centres within the last 12 months;
  • Approximately 62 percent of Salvation Army food banks reported an increase in clients;
  • Both soup kitchens and food banks saw an increase in families requiring their services, with 60 and 70 percent reporting an increase, respectively.

For Hunger Awareness Week The Salvation Army is partnering with restaurants in the greater Toronto area for the “Picture Less Hunger” campaign. Restaurant goers will be encouraged to visit one of 17 participating restaurants between May 3 and 12, and photograph and share their meal on social media using the hashtag #picturelesshunger and the name of the restaurant. Patrons can also make a personal donation to the organization by adding $2 to their bill, at their discretion.

“Picture Less Hunger is a program that takes a growing trend – food photography – and uses it as a vehicle to share an important message about hunger in our country,” said Andrew Burditt, National Director of Marketing Communications, The Salvation Army. “The reality is that over 900,000 Canadians visit a food bank each month, and we rely on the generosity of Canadians to support our services. But that generosity starts with the awareness that hunger is a real, pressing issue affecting hundreds of thousands of citizens.”