Toronto, Ontario – Today, Habitat for Humanity Canada and the employees of Gordon Food Service will celebrate $1 million in philanthropic support, donated to expand access to affordable home ownership in Canada. As one of Habitat for Humanity Canada’s national partners since 2011, Gordon Food Service, a leading foodservice distributor in North America, had a goal of partnering with Habitat for Humanity to build eight Habitat homes in eight years. They far exceeded their own expectations and have already sponsored 11 homes in five years.
Gordon Food Service employees located across Canada raised money through employee-led fundraising events, such as the annual “Raise the Roof” Walk/Run in Edmonton, golf tournaments, car washes, and staff BBQ lunches. The funds raised since 2011 have gone toward title home sponsorships in 10 cities across Canada. In addition to the financial support, employees have volunteered thousands of hours on build sites to help build homes for partner families.
“Our staff has accomplished something really amazing by working together to fundraise for Habitat for Humanity,” said Dean Noble, President of Gordon Food Service Canada. “Each office has embraced the opportunity to make a difference in their local community and it has been really rewarding to watch.”
“We are thankful to Gordon Food Service for the incredible contributions they have made to our organization in the last five years,” said Mark Rodgers, President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Canada. “Their long-term support has enabled us to provide the hand up of affordable homeownership to hardworking families across the country, enabling them to break free from the cycle of poverty. We look forward to working with Gordon Food Service for years to come.”
When Gordon Food Service began working with Habitat for Humanity, it set a very aspirational goal, but didn’t know how the employees would embrace it. “We’ve been so encouraged by the enthusiasm and energy displayed by Gordon Food Service employees across the country,” said Frank Geier, former President of Gordon Food Service Canada. “Nothing can compare to the experiences of spending a day on a house build with your colleagues, and then watching the family receive the key to their new home.”
About Habitat for Humanity Canada
Founded in 1985, Habitat for Humanity Canada is a national, non-profit organization working towards a world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live. With the help of over 63,000 volunteers every year and 58 affiliate organizations from coast to coast, their mission is to mobilize volunteers and community partners in building affordable housing and promoting homeownership as a means to break the cycle of poverty in Canada and around the world. For more information, please visit www.habitat.ca.
About Gordon Food Service
Since 1897, we have delivered uncompromising quality and heartfelt service for our customers. We began as a simple butter-and-egg delivery service, and have grown to become the largest family business in the foodservice distribution industry by upholding the same approach for over 115 years—remaining passionately committed to the people we serve. Today, we serve foodservice operators within the Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, and Southwest regions of the United States and coast-to-coast in Canada. We also operate more than 170 Gordon Food Service Store locations in the U.S., which are open to the public and provide restaurant-quality products and friendly, knowledgeable service without a membership fee. Partnering with organizations across industries from healthcare to education, independent and chain restaurants, and event planners, we help our customers create food experiences that people choose, enjoy, and remember. For more information, please visit www.gfs.ca.
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