TORONTO, May 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted society, putting millions out of work, into financial stress, and provoked a spike in national food insecurity, in some cases not seen since the 2008 recession.
Determined to help alleviate hunger in Canada and give back to its community, Kia Canada is deploying vehicles and much-needed funds through the #PowerToGive, a national partnership with Food Banks Canada.
“We’ve moved Canadians with safety and confidence for more than 20 years,” says Elias El-Achhab, Chief Operating Officer at Kia Canada Inc. “And our #PowerToGive partnership with Food Banks Canada and its 3,000 food banks and community agencies across the country will help put our team, our resources, and our vehicles to important work — feeding Canadians in this time of need.”
Kia Canada is lending its press fleet of top-of-the-line new vehicles including the Sportage, Soul and Telluride to Food Banks in Toronto and Vancouver to support their daily work in providing food packs to vulnerable Canadians. Along with a $200,000 kick start donation, Kia Canada is also working with its national network of dealers, helping connect them with their local food banks and agencies to lend additional assistance and support.
The National Leader in Hunger Relief
Food banks across Canada are facing immense demand, with operational capacity strained to the max. “To put things into context, one of our BC food banks typically records visits from 50 households in one week. That number rose to 300 household visits per week since the pandemic began,” says Food Banks Canada CEO, Chris Hatch. “That, coupled with a reduction in volunteers and a significant drop in food donations in some markets, means that we need support to ensure our neighbours are fed,” he says.
“What Kia is doing is another example of Canadians coming together,” says Neil Hetherington, Chief Executive Officer at Toronto’s Daily Bread Food Bank. “Through these very difficult times, we at the Daily Bread have seen time and time again how individuals and corporations have stepped up to the plate to say: we are all in this together! We are grateful to Kia Canada for providing an uplifting moment, as we navigate these unchartered, anxious times and helping alleviate pressures for our team who are working frontline in service of their communities,” he says.
The Power to Give
Kia Canada is giving back at all levels of its organization. Having already taken important steps to help alleviate financial difficulties for its customers, the company has worked closely with its lending partners to develop financial assistance options as well as launching the Kia Promise program, which provides an extension for warranties expiring between February 1st - April 30, 2020, giving customers additional time to address any warrantable concerns.
Visit kia.ca/powertogive to learn more and see our video thanking Canadians for their efforts.
Canadians in need of hunger relief should check out Find a Food Bank on Food Banks Canada’s website.
About Kia Canada
Kia Canada Inc. (KCI), founded in 1999 and celebrating 20 years in Canada, is a subsidiary of the Kia Motors Corporation (KMC) based in Seoul, South Korea. The full line of award-winning Kia vehicles offers world-class quality and customer satisfaction through a network of 195 dealers across the country. The company employs 170 people at its headquarters in Mississauga, Ontario, as well as in locations across Canada and at its regional office in Montréal, Québec. Kia’s slogan "The Power to Surprise," symbolizes the company’s worldwide commitment to exceed customer expectations through sustained automotive innovation.
Whether it is a compact, crossover, or electric model which is among the best in the industry, each Kia vehicle offers a superior combination of precision engineering, exceptional performance, innovative features and advanced safety systems. Kia has sold a million vehicles, including popular models in Canada like the Soul, Forte, Sportage, Sorento, Stinger and has recently added the Seltos to its lineup. To learn more, visit kia.ca or Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.
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 have sourced and shared over 1.4 billion pounds of food and Food Banks Canada shared over $90 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 or Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram to learn more.
Please contact Amanda Chouinard or Jennifer Szmilko for more information.
Amanda Chouinard, Strategic Objectives
Phone: 416-500-0351
Email: amanda.chouinard@strategicobjectives.com
Jennifer Szmilko, PR Manager Kia Canada
Phone: 905-302-5452
Email: Jszmilko@kia.ca
Taylor Barker for Food Banks Canada
Phone: 519-209-2000
Email: taylorbarker@sppublicrelations.com