More than 70 volunteers from 12 trucking and supplier organizations joined Trucks for Change (T4C) last week to pack 4,200 food kits for children facing hunger this summer.
The initiative is part of Food Banks Canada’s After the Bell program, which aims to distribute 215,000 food packs to 26,875 kids across Canada this year.
With school lunch and snack programs paused during the summer, the After the Bell initiative works to fill that gap. T4C has been an official logistics partner, assembling and delivering food packs nationwide.
“This event unites people across the trucking sector in a unique way,” said Betsy Sharples, Trucks for Change Network executive director, in a news release. “Network members usually experience Trucks for Change from the perspective of moving freight, and this hands-on experience helps them connect with the cause on a personal level — working side by side with industry colleagues to pay it forward and demonstrate the real and collective power of the Trucks for Change Network.”
Volunteer participation rose 35% compared to last year, with 70 people participating, up from 52. Volunteers completed the 4,200 packs in just under two hours.
JD Smith, a T4C carrier partner, provided a certified forklift operator to unload and stage product, wrap and check pallets, and help distribute shipments. T4C fleets will also deliver the kits to food banks across Canada.
Participating companies in this year’s packing effort included: GX Transportation Solutions, International Motors Canada, JD Smith, Kriska Transportation Group, Marsh Canada, Motive Media, Northbridge Insurance, Polaris Transportation, Tandet, The Erb Group, Thomson Terminals, Vision Transportation, and Volvo Trucks Canada.
