At a time when support is most needed, Purolator, Seaway Mall, Elevate Living Niagara and residents of Welland came together to support those experiencing food insecurity.

 The Spring It Forward Food Drive with Purolator Tackle Hunger® collected over 11,000 pounds of donated food in support of Open Arms Mission, The Hope Centre and Holy Trinity Outreach. Over the past few weeks, volunteers from Purolator, Seaway Mall and the local food banks distributed 6,000 Purolator Red Bags across Welland, which residents generously filled with non-perishable food donations and returned to Seaway Mall to help those in need in the community. 

“I have been supporting our Purolator Tackle Hunger program for more than 20 years, volunteering at our CFL Game Day Food Drives and leading our local campaigns, because I’m proud of the work we do to help those in need in our community,” said Tom Divers, Unit Manager, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Purolator. “I manage a great team that always answer the call for volunteers. I am so grateful for their support and dedication to the cause.” 

In 2023, the Spring It Forward Food Drive started as an idea to invite the Welland community to come together to raise awareness about food insecurity. The idea grew into a week-long annual food drive hosted at the Seaway Mall and, with the support of Elevate Living Niagara who has generously matched monetary donations each year. This was the first year that Purolator partnered with the Spring It Forward Food Drive to provide Red Bags for food collection. 

“With food bank usage on the rise in Welland, we are proud to grow this initiative and do as much as we can to help our neighbours,” said Cortney Peters, Social Media & Event Coordinator, Seaway Mall. “We are so thankful that our mall tenants, shoppers, and the community at large stepped up in a big way to support our efforts to stock the shelves of Open Arms Mission, The Hope Centre and Holy Trinity Outreach.” 

This year Elevate Living Niagara matched up to $10,000 and as of today we are at 93% of reaching our fundraising goal of $20,000. The online campaign will remain open until May 14, and we are inviting the community to help us reach our goal. These donations will be used to purchase food in bulk for the three food banks. To donate online visit: trellis.org/spring-it-forward-food-drive 

Residents of Welland can continue to support local food banks by bringing non-perishable food donations to The Hope Centre, Open Arms Mission and Holy Trinity Outreach. 

Or you can support Canadian food banks anytime through online donations at purolatortacklehunger.com or by bringing non-perishable food donations to any Purolator Shipping Centre across Canada. Individuals can find a store near them by using the Purolator Locator tool on purolator.com. 

About Purolator Tackle Hunger® 

As part of Purolator’s commitment to helping alleviate hunger in the communities where it operates, the organization works closely with its employees, partners, customers, Canadian food banks and charitable organizations to collect food and monetary donations. Together, we also help raise awareness about the issue of food insecurity. Since the inception of Purolator’s employee-led grassroots program over 20 years ago, Purolator Tackle Hunger® has helped deliver almost 25 million pounds of food to Canadian food banks. For more information, visit purolatortacklehunger.com. 

About Seaway Mall 

Seaway Mall is one of Niagara’s premier shopping destinations, located in the heart of Welland, Ontario. Proudly serving the community since 1975, the mall features over 100 stores, services, and dining options—including a mix of well-known national retailers and a strong selection of independently owned businesses. Seaway Mall is deeply rooted in the local community, regularly hosting events, seasonal activities, and charitable initiatives that bring people together. With its family-friendly atmosphere and convenient location, Seaway Mall offers a welcoming and accessible experience for shoppers of all ages. For more information, visit seawaymall.com. 

About Elevate Living Niagara 

For more than 15 years, Drew Toth has been deeply involved with providing local housing and started his early days working to advocate for housing for vulnerable citizens. The philosophy of Elevate Living has always been to meet the needs of our community through real estate. For more information, visit elevateliving.ca