Quaker® brings the joy of warmth to Canadian families in-need this winter

Quaker^® donating winter coats, ensuring Canadian children in-need stay warm

TORONTO, Oct. 23, 2018 /CNW/ - For Canadian families in-need, warm winter clothing often comes second to providing the basics. According to a recent study from Quaker Canada, more than one in five Canadian parents (21%) have struggled financially themselves to ensure their child is appropriately dressed for winter.

Quaker has been warming Canadian families with hot oatmeal since 1902; however, when winter comes, being warm on the inside often isn't enough. This year, the brand wants to help Canadian families in-need feel the #JoyOfWarmth by providing their children with winter coats to help stay warm during the cold Canadian winter.

"According to a recent study by  the Angus Reid Institute*, for one in five Canadian Families, proper winter clothing has been a luxury they can't afford," said Susan Irving, PepsiCo Food's Senior Director of Marketing. "It's for reasons like this that we're proud to build on our heritage of warming Canadians, by donating coats to those in-need so they can feel the joy of warmth."

Quaker is working with Brands for Canada, a national charity based in Toronto, to source warm winter coats and Boys and Girls Clubs across the country to distribute them to children from families in-need.

"We couldn't be more excited to participate in Quaker's Joy Of Warmth program this year, providing coats to Canadian families in-need," said Owen Charters, President & CEO, Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada. "Having a warm winter coat means that more kids will have an opportunity to play outside with their peers this winter, which benefits their physical and mental health, and helps them build positive social relationships."

Additionally, during the month of November when Canadians share the hashtag #JoyOfWarmth and tag @QuakerCanada on their public Facebook, Twitter or Instagram profile, Quaker will provide a bowl of warm oatmeal to a child in-need at Boys and Girls Club locations across the country, to a maximum of 100,000 bowls.

The brand is working with The Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada who have identified families in their programs who are in need of warm winter coats. Quaker is encouraging Canadians interested in learning more about how they can receive support, to contact Brands for Canada, who can help to identify local resources. For more information on how the Quaker brand is working with Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada, visit www.quakeroats.ca/joyofwarmth.

*Source: Angus Reid Institute, July 17, 2018, angusreid.org/poverty-in-Canada

About Quaker^®
The Quaker Oats Company, headquartered in Chicago, is a unit of PepsiCo, Inc., one of the world's largest consumer packaged goods companies. For more than 140 years, Quaker's brands have served as symbols of quality, great taste and nutrition. For more information, please visit www.QuakerOats.ca,www.Facebook.com/QuakerCanada or follow us on Twitter @QuakerCanada.

About Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada
Community-based services. Positive relationships. Life-changing programs. As Canada's largest child- and youth-serving organization, Boys and Girls Clubs provide vital programs and services to over 200,000 young people in 700 communities across Canada. During critical out-of-school hours, our Clubs help young people discover who they are, what they can do, and how they can get there. Our trained staff and volunteers give them the tools to realize positive outcomes in self-expression, academics, healthy living, physical activity, mental health, leadership, and more. Since 1900, Boys and Girls Clubs have opened their doors to children, youth, and families in small and large cities, and rural and Indigenous communities. If a young person needs it, our Clubs provide it. Learn more at bgccan.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @BGCCAN.

About Brands for Canada:
Brands For Canada (formerly known as Windfall Basics) was founded in 1992. We collect surplus and unsold new goods, redirect goods that would otherwise end up in landfills and distribute new goods to Canadian families. By 1996, the organization was receiving and distributing more than 9,000 pieces of clothing per month. We have over 200 brand partners consisting of leading Canadian brands, retailers and corporations. We receive more than 900,000 pieces of clothing, personal care items and housewares annually. Over the last 25 years, in conjunction with our donors and social service agency distribution partners, we have helped over 1.2 million individuals, kept almost 4 million kilograms of goods out of landfills, saved Canadians in need over $420 million, donated over 420 million dollars' worth of goods and saved 31.7 billion litres of water.

About the Quaker Survey:
From September 17th to September 18th, 2018 an online survey of 1,515 randomly selected Canadian adults (907 of whom are parents) who are Maru Voice Canada panelists was executed by Maru/Blue. For comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size has an estimated margin of error (which measures sampling variability) of +/- 2.5%, 19 times out of 20. The results have been weighted by education, age, gender and region (and in Quebec, language) to match the population, according to Census data. This is to ensure the sample is representative of the entire adult population of Canada. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

SOURCE Quaker Canada

Emily Walker, Account Manager, Citizen Relations, 416 934 8067, 437 353 2669, [email protected]