Amazon Peel Community Day sees employees gather with local dignitaries to unveil Amazon Community Teaching Kitchen at Seva Food Bank and Amazon Senior Wellness Space at Indus Community Services
TORONTO, ON–Amazon Canada hosted the first Amazon Peel Community Day in partnership with Seva Food Bank and Indus Community Services. The events saw Amazon employees from across Peel Region come together with local dignitaries, including Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra and Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie, to celebrate the community through donations of $125,000 to each partner organization. The funds will support the Amazon Community Teaching Kitchen at Seva Food Bank and the Amazon Senior Wellness Space at Indus Community Services.
“At Amazon, we are passionate about providing our team with opportunities to give back and support the local communities where we operate,” said Amrita Dhillon, Senior Operations Manager at Amazon YYZ4. “Our goal is to not only have a positive, lasting effect on these communities, but to also inspire our employees to get involved in local charitable projects they care about.”
Amazon Peel Community Day began at Seva Food Bank, where six frontline Amazon employees gathered with Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra and Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie, to unveil the new Amazon Community Teaching Kitchen. Following a brief cheque presentation, all attendees gathered in the kitchen with Celebrity Chef Devan Rajkumar to prepare a vegetarian bean salad for Seva Food Bank’s Langar on Wheels program, which is designed to provide local, in-need community members with culturally-appropriate meals.
“Use of the Seva Food Bank has increased by more than 50 per cent throughout the pandemic—it is donations like Amazon’s that help us continue to serve the local community,” says Kulvir Singh Gill, Board Chair, Seva Food Bank. “The new Amazon Community Teaching Kitchen will be used as a skills factory, which will help our food bank users secure jobs in the foodservice industry and ultimately improve their quality of life.”
Later in the afternoon, a separate group of Amazon employees from Peel Region gathered at Indus Community Services, along with Minister Alghabra and Mayor Crombie, to get a sneak peek of the new Amazon Senior Wellness Space and help paint a wall during the construction process. Once complete, the Amazon Senior Wellness Space will be used for a variety of wellness and development programs for local seniors, including art, dance, yoga, and more.
“The new Amazon Senior Wellness Space is an exciting addition to Indus Community Services and will provide seniors in our community with a source of joy and belonging,” says Gurpreet Malhotra, CEO, Indus Community Services. “We are grateful that Amazon chose to partner with us and we’re thrilled to see members of their team take the time off to join us today.”
In 2020, Amazon donated more than $10 million to charities and not-for-profit organizations across Canada, including charities that address our focus on “Right Now Needs” like food, shelter, and basic goods for children and their families.
“Amazon’s donations to the Seva Food Bank and Indus Community Services will have an incredible impact on a very important segment of Peel Region,” said Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra. “We are grateful the company has chosen to invest in organizations that support those living and working in Peel and recognize our community’s diverse nature.”
“I want to thank Amazon for donating to these two amazing Mississauga-based organizations. It truly shows their commitment to strengthening our community and supporting our residents,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. “I’m proud that for more than 10 years Amazon has been here in Mississauga and continues to find new ways to make a positive impact on our community.
About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer, and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.
About Indus Community Services
Indus Community Services (Indus) is an accredited, not-for-profit community benefit organization that has served local communities for 35 years. The agency is a registered charity supported by its donors and by all three levels of government. Indus, through its professional staff of 140+ personnel, are leaders in providing culturally appropriate services to newcomers, families, women and seniors.
About Seva Food Bank
The Seva Food Bank is the first major initiative of Sikhs Serving Canada, a registered non-for-profit organization that engages Sikhs in a variety of local community-focused initiatives that benefit all Canadians. Seva’s work aims to address the challenges of food security, poverty reduction and economic renewal for low-income families living in seven postal codes across Mississauga.