We have been awarded the Best Workplace for Giving Back!
We are so honoured to have been awarded the Best Workplace for Giving Back. The spirit of giving back is prevalent across the country, we have spoken with our franchisees and bakery managers to learn more about their philosophy in community giving!
Here’s our first story:
Scott, the franchisee of COBS Bread Fort Saskatchewan, started his COBS Bread journey as a Sales Assistant while he was in high school. Since then, Scott has never eaten bread from anywhere else, he just loves our Sourdough Loaf too much!
In 2021, Scott made his life-changing move applying to become a COBS Bread franchisee and became the new owner of the Fort Saskatchewan bakery. “Fort Saskatchewan is a small town in Alberta, with only 26,000 people. So, it has been a great opportunity to connect with the community with fresh bread and delicious treats,” says Scott.
Through COBS Bread’s End of Day Giving Program, Scott has been partnering with a variety of community groups to donate leftover bread and baked treats to those in need. This includes Boys and Girls Club of Fort Saskatchewan, Lamont County Food Bank, and Fort Saskatchewan High School. “I love both aspects of owning a COBS Bread bakery – baking delicious products and donate leftover products to communities in need,” says Scott, the Fort Saskatchewan Bakery Owner.
In particular, Boys and Girls Club of Fort Saskatchewan has been the bakery’s biggest charity partner. The group provides a safe, supportive place where children and youth can overcome barriers, build positive relationships and develop life skills. Every Monday, the group picks up leftover product and delivers it to those in need. “I really enjoy partnering with them because they are local, and play an essential part in supporting the community,” says Scott.
Likewise, the Fort Saskatchewan team has been donating leftover products to Lamont County Food Bank. The group is family-owned and operated by volunteers that work together to create a hunger-free community. Lamont County relies on food bank donations through their community partners, like COBS Bread, because they are not associated with Food Banks Canada. This makes it easier for the bakery to donate products to them, since traditional food banks do not accept food that is not pre-packaged.
Aside from charities, Scott has also been donating leftover product to Fort Saskatchewan High School’s breakfast program to support lower income families. It means a lot to Scott to be able to support schools’ breakfast programs, even if they are not eligible to be part of Breakfast Club of Canada’s sponsorship,” says Scott.
“The pastries are distributed through our Breakfast Program each Wednesday morning. Students look forward to the Wednesday morning cart to receive one of COBS Bread’s nutritious items. Many students say that this is their favourite morning,” says representative from Fort Saskatchewan High School.
At COBS Bread, we are passionate about making a difference in the community. Since July 2021, our bakeries have donated $40 million worth of product through the End of Day Giving Program.
Stay tuned for our next Community Stars story in the next few days!