Meal Exchange volunteers, supporters and friends gathered at Black Betty in downtown Toronto on Friday night to mark a major milestone for the organization - $2 Million has been raised through our programs to support community-based, hunger-relief agencies across Canada. Even more impressive is that it took eleven years to raise the first $1/2 Million, and only four years to raise the next $1.5 Million.

The success of Meal Exchange’s programs, namely Skip a Meal®, Trick or Eat® and Clear the Shelves!®, is owed to the thousands of people who have shared their time and expertise since we began on our mission in 1993. With 2007 being an especially landmark year, Meal Exchange chose this milestone to present its inaugural ‘Supporter of the Year’ and ‘Volunteer of the Year’ awards.

The Supporter of the Year for 2007 was presented to Jenna Wong from Much Music in recognition of her outstanding contributions in advancing Meal Exchange’s mission through the pro bono production of the public service announcement ‘Appetite for Action’, which has been airing on the station since April.

Andrew Morton, the creative genius behind the design for the logo for Portraits of Hunger©, posters for Trick or Eat, Clear the Shelves! and Portraits of Hunger, and the pamphlets for Trick or Eat received the Volunteer of the Year award for 2007.

Molson, who in addition to providing complimentary food and beverages, issued a challenge to Meal Exchange supporters that for every $1 they donated in 2008, Molson would donate $2 up to a maximum of $25,000. Read what they had to say in the Molson blog .

Click here to make a secure online donation.

If the past is any indication, there is little doubt that we will have the support needed to continue to help the 2.5 million Canadians that do not where they’re next meal is coming from.

Thank you!