Nature's Path Puts Compassion Into Action

At alive, we love stories about passionate people and companies setting out to a make a difference, and today we have one to share with you.

With the Thanksgiving holidays now behind us, it’s important to remind ourselves that along with turkey dinner and pumpkin pie, Thanksgiving is about giving back to those less fortunate— and the organic food company Nature’s Path did just that with their fourth annual Compassion Into Action campaign, which generated $118,000 worth of food for the hungry with the help of Vancouverites.

The campaign occurred this past Wednesday (October 3) when people were able to visit the Vancouver Art Gallery Georgia Street Plaza and purchase local organic food by donation, benefitting the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. They call it a “pop-up organic café and marketplace” and it featured goodies from Nature’s Path, Happy Planet, So Nice, Ethical Bean Coffee, Save on Meats, SOLEfood farm, Eat More Sprouts, and Pro-Organics. Every dollar spent was able to buy three dollars worth of food for the hungry.

A staggering 27,000 people depend on the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society for their basic necessities each week, and 26 percent of these people are some of society’s most vulnerable—children. Furthermore, the food bank relies on the generosity of individuals and organizations, such as this campaign, for support—it does not receive government funding. Over the years, Compassion Into Action has raised and donated $500,000 worth of food for the hungry. It’s because of the generosity of Vancouverites that this was possible.

Aart Schuurman Hess, CEO of the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society, says, “We are honoured to be a part of Compassion into Action. It is inspiring to see the level of impact this event has on our community and see the importance of good food and good health in action. Nature's Path has done a brilliant job of demonstrating what's possible when we work together, and we are extremely grateful for their vision, their passion and their actions.”