Food Banks Canada’s ‘Gratitude’ Billboards Thank Canadian Food Donors

Today, Food Banks Canada is launching a heart warming Thank You campaign as a follow up to the incredibly successful ‘I ATE’ campaign at the start of the covid-19 pandemic.  

Food insecurity has been a growing concern in Canada, an issue highlighted rapidly in the wake of the pandemic. Food Banks Canada quickly moved to raise $150M for community relief in the on-going battle against hunger. Donors from across the country rose to the challenge, helping to meet this ambitious fundraising goal, which served over 4750 communities in need. 

“There was a near-immediate increase in food bank visits starting in March of 2020,” notes Food Banks Canada CCO Caroline Newton. “We knew we had to respond, and we did. Now, two years later, because of the incredible generosity and care of people all across Canada, more families than ever were able to access the food they needed during these difficult times. We have been blown away by the support, and we wanted to show our appreciation for everyone who came together to help us and our food banks network reach this milestone goal.”  

The I ATE THANK YOU campaign is designed to showcase the power of these donations, and the real world impact that every dollar has on people in communities across Canada. The funds raised went toward sourcing essential food and support items for the food banks across the network and providing financial support to change their operations in response to covid-19 protocols. The campaign features a 30 second PSA running on broadcast media donated by Corus, digital out-of-home media donated by Outfront, as well as presence across Google Ad Network and social media platforms. The campaign was created by The Local Collective, a Toronto brand and advertising agency. 

“The issue of food insecurity was already at a difficult point before the pandemic, and we saw the urgency that was created almost overnight in this country,” says Matt Litzinger, president and chief creative officer, The Local Collective. “As a nation, we saw the issue in a new light, something that may not only be affecting your neighbours, but your friends, your family, and even you. As a country, we have been in this fight together – that’s why there was such success with the first I ATE campaign. Taking a moment to show appreciation, to give gratitude for what Food Banks Canada has been able to accomplish felt important. The fact that more people than ever have been able to say ‘I ATE’ is a  powerful thing.” 

To donate to Food Banks Canada, visit here.