How did iögo get involved with collective kitchens?
“Given our roots, given who we are and the communities in which we work, we chose to support collective kitchens because we thought they brought a lot of things forward that we hold dear as part of our core values: confidence, leadership and commitment in a spirit of optimism.

With collective kitchens there was a link. iögo’s partnership with Community Food Centres Canada is about healthy eating. It’s about being in the community. It is also about being involved, which we are through product donations, financial contributions, providing awareness and employee involvement. We can make a difference, especially in the the cities close to our offices: Collective Kitchens Montérégie (Granby, QC), Collective Kitchen Hochelaga-Maisonneuve (Montreal), The Dartmouth Community Food Centre (Dartmouth, NS), The Stop Community Food Centre (Toronto) and one hopefully opening soon in Calgary. Cooking together has benefits beyond healthy food. It’s a wonderful source of pleasure and a way to connect with others socially."

Gerry Doutre
PRESIDENT & CEO,
ULTIMA FOODS INC.

How are iögo employees involved in collective kitchens?
“When we launched iögo, we started to think about how we were going to bring our people into this new adventure. We wanted to show that we are not only engaged and committed to our customers and consumers, but that we are also committed to our employees and communities. As part of our corporate volunteer program, each employee has the opportunity to receive one paid day per year to work in one of the chosen collective kitchens. More than 230 employees took part in the first year.

This program means our employees will donate 1,880 volunteer hours annually. The servings of food we made as teams were sold to friends, family members and others with all profits donated to the collective kitchen where we volunteered. What the day highlights is that we are not only making good yogurt, good products, but that we are making good things happen in our community. That is one thing that will remain in the hearts of the employees who participated.”

Patrick Dumais
Vice President Human Resources,
ULTIMA FOODS INC.

Why is community involvement so important to iögo?
“When we first met with collective kitchens to see what their objective was, we saw that it was really aligned with our own; promoting good food and helping people learn about healthy eating. They were looking for some more visibility to raise funds to support their work and with our launch we could put a spotlight, in a very respectful manner, on this cause. The important thing for us is that the kitchens are changing the lives of people who participate. They are meeting other people from the community and learning new skills that will allow them to eat better. Our employees are delighted by the initiative. It fits in with our core values: goodness in every way. I hope with the increased visibility, people will take part. It’s really about raising awareness and supporting the work of collective kitchens, which are close to our heart. We love healthy food too.”

Lucie Rémillard
Vice President, Marketing
ULTIMA FOODS INC.

For more details about collective kitchens, visit collectivekitchens.ca.