ON THE ROAD WITH THE LOVE KITCHEN

The Little Caesars Love Kitchen crossed the Canadian border in October and served nearly 1,200 people in Southern Ontario.

This is the Love Kitchen’s first trip to Canada in nearly 15 years, and the community’s response to the Love Kitchen was overwhelming. Volunteers from Little Caesars’ Toronto office helped make pizzas and serve at three different sites in three days. In Hamilton, Ontario, franchisees Stephen McGregor, Bob Middleton and Les Pinsonneault provided the food that fed more than 300 people at Mission Services. At St. Vincent’s Kitchen in Oshawa, Ontario, franchisee Bob Middleton provided for another 300 people. In Kitchener, Ontario, franchisee Brian Kendall provided food for more than 500 people at the St. John’s Soup Kitchen.

The Love Kitchen had fed nearly two million needy people in North America since its inception in 1985, primarily focusing on helping where natural disasters have occurred such as Hurricanes Katrina & Rita. The last time it was in Canada was in 1992, so we were very excited to be a part of the very worthwhile event.

At the heart of Little Caesars' philosophy is a deep commitment to its franchisees, colleagues and community. In addition to efforts made by individual restaurants worldwide, Little Caesars is true to its belief in giving back to the communities in which it serves.

Little Caesars and its franchisees are dedicated to countless organizations throughout the country. Our restaurants participate in school related programs and have raised thousands of dollars for worthwhile charities as well as community and neighborhood programs, through restaurant-sponsored fundraisers and in-store functions. Furthermore, many of our franchisees and employees volunteer their time for numerous charitable causes and have raised millions of dollars all over the world.

One of the most significant corporate programs Little Caesars has funded is an award winning, nationally recognized program called the Little Caesars Love Kitchen. The Ilitch family established the non-profit foundation to feed the hungry and homeless in the U.S. and Canada, feeding more than 1.5 million people in need from 1985 to 2002. The mobile kitchen's planned use is focused on special programs and disaster relief efforts, and in October of 2001 traveled to New York City to feed rescue workers at the World Trade Center site.  Most recently, The Little Caesars Love Kitchen traveled to Katrina devastated areas and provided meals to over 50,000 people as they begin rebuilding their lives and communities.
  
The Ilitch family also established a non-profit foundation called Ilitch Charities for Children (ICC) in 2000 to improve the lives of children in the areas of health, recreation and education. In addition to providing grants to many non-profit groups, ICC established a Little Caesars hockey scholarship program for young men and women who participate in the Little Caesars AAA Hockey program.

Little Caesars franchisees are involved in non-profit organizations and youth development programs throughout the country.  From the little league baseball team in Campbell River, BC to the youth hockey team in Chatham, ON, it’s always a Win! Win! situation for everyone in the community.