Share It Forward campaign expands to more stores for its seventh year

(Langley, B.C. – May 21, 2024) Canadian brand Western Family is expanding its seventh annual Share It Forward campaign in support of local food banks into new retailers this year, bringing the total number of participating stores to more than 220 across Western Canada.

Buy-Low Foods and Nesters Markets will join Save-On-Foods, PriceSmart Foods and Urban Fare stores by donating 50 per cent of net proceeds from every Western Family product sold online or in-store from May 23 to 29 to the local food bank in the community where the products were purchased.

Since it began in 2018, Share It Forward has generated more than $1 million for local food banks and in 2024 the goal is to raise another $300,000 through the week-long campaign.

Food banks across Canada are being stretched to their limits like never before. In its annual report. Food Banks Canada states there were more than 1.9 million visits to food banks across Canada in March 2023 – a whopping 32 per cent increase over March 2022. According to the report, children accounted for 642,257 of those visits. Statistics Canada reports that in 2023, 42% of households with children had difficulty meeting their basic needs.

“Food insecurity is a burden that families across the country are facing on a daily basis”, said Dan Huang-Taylor, executive director of Food Banks BC. “The Western Family Share It Forward campaign aims to lessen that burden by helping local food banks meet this overwhelming demand. We encourage all those who are able, to purchase Western Family products from May 23 to 29, which in turn will help provide those in need with some relief and peace of mind.”

Western Family is a proudly Canadian brand and a trusted household name for more than 50 years. The well-known private brand offers an assortment of more than 2,800 reliable, affordable, high-quality products of which more than 1,000 items are locally sourced and produced. The brand creates innovative new products, aiming to remove unnecessary ingredients such as excess sugar, salt, and glucose-fructose, while also seeking sustainable packaging options.

“Access to healthy, nutritious food is something all Canadians should have, and we are thankful that through our longstanding partnerships with food banks across Western Canada, and the Western Family Share It Forward campaign, we can all help make that a reality,” said Pattison Food Group president Darrell Jones. “Simply stop by one of the five participating retailers from May 23 to 29 and choose Western Family during your regular grocery shop – it’s that easy.”

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About Western Family

Western Family’s line of more than 2,800 products feature the highest quality ingredients that turn everyday occasions into moments to be savoured. Proudly supporting more than 1,000 locally made Canadian products, Western Family is passionate about creating high-quality, authentically prepared, tasty, healthy and sustainable products.

About Pattison Food Group

Established in 2021, the Pattison Food Group is a Jim Pattison business and Western Canada’s leading provider of food and drugs. The Pattison Food Group includes Save-On-Foods, Buy-Low Foods, Quality Foods, Everything Wine, Pure Integrative Pharmacy, Imperial Distributors Canada Inc., and other Jim Pattison Group specialty and wholesale operations. Its businesses employ more than 30,000 team members in its nearly 300 food and drug retail locations and share a passion for giving back to the communities where they do business. Pattison Food Group businesses are leaders in customer service and innovation and are committed to achieving long-term growth.