One of the reasons I’m proud of our company is its commitment to community giving. It’s something we’ve always done, and our annual budget of $45,000 has made a positive difference for local organizations that do life-changing work – like Cedar Centre and Inn From the Cold.
But we wanted to expand our efforts. And according to Vince’s partner Giancarlo Trimarchi, we needed to find a way to give team members and customers a more active role in who we support.
Introducing the Community Product Initiative
Last November, we launched the “Community Product Initiative.” This began by conducting an online survey where customers and employees could vote for a charitable organization in each of the four communities where we have a store: Newmarket, Sharon, Uxbridge and Tottenham.
The 2018 beneficiaries were just announced, and we are proud to be able to support Doane House Hospice (Newmarket), Blue Door Shelters (Sharon), Uxbridge/Scugog Animal Shelter, and Tottenham Food Bank.
How Does the Program Work?
Here’s how the program works. In every flyer (and on our website) we will be identifying one Community Product. Each store will then donate 15 percent of total sales of that item – during the flyer period – to the Community Project selected by that location.
This Week’s Product: Italpasta Assorted Pastas
What’s great is that these community products are items you may be purchasing anyway – like this week’s Italpasta assorted pasta. So you won’t have to radically change your diet to participate!
Last Week’s Product: Eat Smart Kale Salad
Last week’s item was Eat Smart Kale Salad. If you’re not a fan, you should be. This superfood seems to hit most top-ten lists, and was part of a “buy one, get one” special. So the initiative got off to a healthy start.
We Look Forward to Our Year-End Contributions!
Funds for each project will grow week-by-week throughout 2018, and by year end, we look forward to making a significant contribution to these four important causes. I’ll be excited to see our numbers in late December!
So please drop by one of our stores this week, and grab a bag of Italpasta noodles: spaghetti, rotini or another favourite. And enjoy a plate of pasta, knowing that you’ll be making a difference.
As always, we welcome your questions and feedback. You can leave a comment right here on the site. Or head on over and join in the conversation on Facebook (remember to ‘Like’ the page) and Twitter. If you haven’t already signed up to receive our weekly news delivered right to your inbox (including the blog, our weekly product feature, signup for our Coterie Program, and our recipe of the week), you will find the signup by clicking here.
— Neil
