Nissan: Nissan Canada Foundation named Corporate Volunteer Of The Year by the Mississauga Food Bank

MISSISSAUGA, ONT. Nissan announced today that The Mississauga Food Bank recently recognized the Nissan Canada Foundation with their Corporate Volunteer of the Year Award. The award designation is driven by the number of corporate volunteer hours given, the employee engagement of volunteers from Nissan’s head office and its dealer partners (Direct Nissan and Woodchester Nissan) in Mississauga, and the enthusiasm in which volunteers gave. The award announcement – a first for the Nissan Canada Foundation – could not be better timed. The Food for Thought Summer Food Drive benefitting The Mississauga Food Bank, and the Foundation’s annual signature event, commences today and runs until July 31st.

In addition to the Summer Food Drive, the Nissan Canada Foundation hosts numerous volunteer events throughout the year, all aimed at helping The Mississauga Food Bank. Since becoming the food bank’s “Champion Sponsor” in 2014, the Foundation has approached each year as an opportunity to do more to end hunger by surpassing its previous accomplishments.

  • Foundation crews have sorted enough food to provide 22,902 meals to-date in 2016, thanks to “Helping Hands Events” which involve employees volunteering at the food bank sorting and packaging donated food for delivery to neighbourhood food banks, breakfast clubs, and shelters.
    • At the mid-point of the calendar year, Foundation crews have already sorted and packaged more food than the total amount sorted and packaged in all of 2015 (21,000 meals).
  • This year the Nissan Canada Foundation spearheaded a new initiative called “CANstruction,” giving Nissan employees a chance to be creative, while having fun and collecting donations. A total of 2,160lbs of food was collected.
    • Through this one-time event held May 26th, which also promoted healthy choices, being active and eating healthy, the Nissan Canada Foundation is already at 71 per cent of the amount collected through last year’s food drive (3,023 lbs).
  • The Nissan Canada Foundation also participated in the outRUN Hunger Race/Walk for the first time this year, and as a result, 20 participants raised nearly $1,500 for The Mississauga Food Bank. An internal event, selling windshield washer fluid for a small donation, also raised $690 this past winter.

“At Nissan, one of our defining corporate culture traits is making social progress, and giving back to the communities in which we live and work. This is not only true for Canada, but around the globe, and this mentality goes back decades,” says Joni Paiva, president of Nissan Canada Inc. “It is an honour to receive the Corporate Volunteer of the Year Award from The Mississauga Food Bank. We will proudly continue to encourage involvement on the part of our employees and that of our local dealer partners, to aid our neighbours, and to do our part to help ensure no one in Mississauga goes hungry.”

“It’s because of corporate volunteers like the Nissan Canada Foundation that we’re able to provide hope to those in need, and effectively fight hunger in Mississauga,” says Chris Hatch, executive director of The Mississauga Food Bank. “The Corporate Volunteer of the Year Award recognizes the time, generosity and commitment Nissan employees have demonstrated to our organization. The Nissan Canada Foundation has been a phenomenal partner of ours for the past decade, and we are incredibly grateful for their partnership and all we’ve accomplished together so far.”

The Mississauga Food Bank is the central food bank in Mississauga, where the Nissan Canadian head office has been situated since 1989. The Mississauga Food Bank has been providing food for over 2.2-million meals each year through its network of member agencies including neighbourhood food banks, before-school breakfast clubs, youth-at-risk drop-in programs, hot meal programs, youth and family shelters, and emergency food pantries. These agencies are located in areas of the city where need is highest, and in locations that can be easily accessed by those who need emergency food support.

 

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