Edition, a Toronto-based cannabis retailer, is donating 5% of their sales to a community food centre this month.
The cannabis company, well-known for curating high-quality cannabis products and accessories, announced their charitable initiative on Instagram earlier this afternoon. Edition is committing to donate a portion of their sales to The Stop Community Food Centre in an effort to tackle food insecurity in West Toronto.
“During this time, we are thankful to be able to keep our business’ doors open in any capacity so it’s important to us that we help our community stay afloat through all of this,” said Ryan Roebuck, CEO and co-founder of Edition, in a press release.
“Toronto is our home, so we’d like to be an anchor for our neighbours and friends during the hardest times.”
Nearly one in five households in Toronto are food insecure, meaning their access to food is inadequate due to lack of money, according to a 2019 Board of Health report.
The impact of COVID has forced small business owners across Toronto to temporarily or permanently shut down, limiting services and putting many into a financial strain.
The Stop, an organization focused on community growth through providing nutritious and healthy meals, have honed in on providing emergency food to residents of West Toronto since March.
Edition is just one company among a multitude of local businesses that have partnered with The Stop to tackle food insecurity in their neighbourhoods.
“Having financial support from the community means we are able to purchase a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as staple items like eggs and milk,” says Cara Goodman, the senior development officer of The Stop.
“90 per cent of our funding comes from donations [and] the generosity of Edition goes a long way in helping us continue to do this important work every day.”
The initiative also presents an opportunity for residents in Toronto to support local businesses this holiday season, knowing they are helping others receive secure access to food as well.
