Damian Warner leans on experience with food insecurity to help Food Banks Canada
He’s considered the best athlete on the planet, the Olympic Decathlon champion. But Damian Warner’s rise to global sports supremacy started with struggle.
“I grew up in a single parent household, so my mom worked two jobs to make sure there was food on the table. To support me, my brother, and my sister, and there were times where things were tough, and she had to rely on others to get some support and one of those people was the local food bank,” says the London, Ont., athlete who has partnered with Kraft-Heinz on an initiative called Pantry Day.
“I think it’s a great cause, it’s something that I’m happy to be a part of, and use my platform to create as much awareness as possible. If you go in there and purchase products, Kraft-Heinz will match that with a donation to Food Banks Canada.”
Last week Warner was at the London Food Bank where he spoke about how his family relied the on service in his youth.
“We never knew, we had no idea,” says Glen Pearson of the London Food Bank, “because we’ve been there since the beginning we had no idea that had ever happened. So it was very moving, and our volunteers and staff were there and they listened to him speak and it really meant a lot to them to see what their efforts had done.”
World Hunger Day comes on the heels of one of the most successful Thanksgiving food drives by the London Food Bank but according to the Vital Signs report released Thursday, food security is still a major issue in this city. The Food Bank is reporting an increase of 20 per cent for people needing food hampers over the last six months.
“The numbers are too high, that they have to service,” says Warner. “But I think this Pantry Day, that’s going to happen tomorrow, on Oct. 16, is a great start to cut into some of these numbers and help put more food on people’s tables.”
To participate, you can purchase Kraft-Heinz products from a grocery store on Saturday and the company will match the purchase and donate it to Food Banks Canada. You can click here to learn more about the program.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
NEW 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire': A crowd pleaser that turns it up to 11
Hot on the heels of last year's 'Godzilla Minus One' comes 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,' the first ever Academy Award winner in the giant reptile's decades-long film career.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.