March 18, 2022 – In the year leading up to the pandemic, the need for food banks in Toronto was evident, with close to one million visits being recorded, reports AD’s Haly Baran. By 2021, with economic challenges continuing to exacerbate, food bank distributions saw a jump of 53% compared to pre-pandemic levels.

In response, the AD Canada team facilitated a cross-divisional holiday food drive, engaging its member and supplier communities from AD Canada’s Industrial & Safety, Electrical, and Plumbing & Heating Divisions, hoping to make a difference for those impacted by food insecurity.

“Here at AD Canada, we are exceptionally grateful to our members and suppliers who, time and time again, show their generosity and commitment to their community,” said Rob Dewar, president, AD Canada. “In a period where so many of our friends and neighbours are struggling, our strong alliance stepped up to take care of one another, because that’s the AD Way.”

The AD community surpassed expectations, Baran reports, collecting about a 1/4 ton (450 lb) of non-perishable items for Toronto’s Daily Bread Food Bank.

“It’s efforts like these that truly amplify our group’s guiding notion—“Together, we win”—and display how great organizations can collaborate to multiply their impacts… not only on a business level, but also on a personal level,” Dewar continued.

AD is North America’s largest marketing/buying group for construction and industrial supplies. Its memberships comprises 845-plus independently owned member distributors, representing over 500 branches and annual sales of $58 billion across nine industries and three countries.

— With files from Haly Baran