TORONTO -- One of Canada’s largest logistics providers will be delivering more than freight next month; and they want you to help.

Schenker of Canada is holding a two-week-long food drive and is hoping employees, business partners and customers pony up. Last year, Schenker collected more than 40,000 kilos of food via special bins placed in all its facilities; this year, they hope to better that figure.

The drive starts on June 2 and runs to June 16.

At the end of the drive, Schenker reps will collect the food bins for distribution to local food banks.

“We’re urging our employees, customers, business partners -- even our competitors -- to help us work to reduce hunger in Canada,” says Claude Germain, executive vice-president and COO, Schenker of Canada Ltd.

“Get involved,” he said. “Together, we will make a difference.”

“Hunger is a persistent and unacceptable problem in Canada, with more than 700,000 Canadians turning to community food banks for assistance each month,” says Katharine Schmidt, executive director of Food Banks Canada. “For every person using a food bank, it is estimated that three or four others are struggling to get the food they need.”

“In Canada, the problem of hunger is in large part a problem of income,” adds Gail Nyberg, executive director of Toronto’s Daily Bread Food Bank.

According to Food Banks Canada’s HungerCount 2008, 14.5 percent of food-bank clients’ primary source of income is employment; while 12.7 percent are on disability income. About half are on social assistance; and 6.5 percent are pensioners. Thirty seven percent of food bank recipients are children.

If you’re interested in participating in any way, call Schenker at 1-800-461-3686.