As we head toward Easter, when many Quebecers will gather around a lavishly laid table, this festive season is also a reminder of a less visible reality: for thousands of families, abundance is not a fact of life.
In an economy that is putting more and more households under strain, food insecurity now affects people from all walks of life, including some you might not suspect. To help meet the growing needs of thousands of families, the SAQ is appealing to the generosity of its customers to support Food Banks of Quebec (FBQ). From April 2 to 12, two meals will be donated to the FBQ for every Origine Québec product sold. Customers who wish to do so can also make a donation at checkout.
For local producers, helping to fight food insecurity is a natural part of their commitment to their communities.
“Quebec’s winegrowers are delighted to partner with the SAQ’s initiative in aid of Food Banks of Quebec,” explains Matthieu Beauchemin, a Quebec winegrower and president of the Conseil des vins du Québec. “As agricultural businesses deeply rooted in our communities, it is natural for us to join solidarity initiatives that support local people.”
“By choosing a Quebec cider, consumers make an active gesture in support of local producers as well as Food Banks of Quebec,” adds Catherine St-Georges, executive director of Les Producteurs de cidre du Québec. “Les Producteurs de cidre du Québec are proud to be part of this wave of solidarity, which showcases local expertise while also meeting essential needs in our communities.”
A desperate need
The need is enormous and skyrocketing. The people struggling with food insecurity come from a surprisingly wide range of backgrounds.
- A 37% increase in requests for food assistance since 2022, currently 3.1 million requests a month
- 600,000 unique individuals assisted each month across all services
- 48% of the assisted households are families with children. The number of children receiving support has increased by 47,479 since 2022.
SAQ campaigns for the FBQ: $2,702,554 raised in 2025
In 2025, in collaboration with customers, the SAQ ran three FBQ campaigns across its store network. The funds raised, combined with the profits generated from the sale of gift boxes throughout the year, totalled $2,702,554, which was donated to the FBQ.
Since the start of the partnership, the SAQ has donated over $22 million to Food Banks of Quebec thanks to the generous contributions of its customers and employees. Last year, the FBQ awarded the SAQ the title of largest financial donor, highlighting the company’s unwavering support and the impact of its exceptional campaigns over the past 17 years.
It’s not the same without food!
As we know, festive occasions such as Easter don’t mean abundance and feasting for everyone! To highlight this reality and raise awareness of food insecurity, the support we can give to the FBQ is particularly meaningful at this time of year, when disparities are felt even more keenly.
It was in 2011, when the FBQ network sounded the alarm due to a severe lack of resources, that the SAQ realised the scale of the needs to be met and made food assistance its major corporate cause.