Hunger Warriors Spotlight | TruGreen

Today, we’re spotlighting, celebrating, and thanking the The Green Machine, The Crimson Stormtroopers, Orange Crushers, and Team Blue!

These colour-coded teams are made up of employees from TruGreen, who joined together at the beginning of the year for some friendly competition against each other to raise money for their neighbours experiencing food insecurity.

“We wanted to do a team challenge to raise money for charity and, given the current situation being experienced by many, it was a no brainer to select Food Banks Mississauga. We quickly became Hunger Warriors.”

Sheila Casey, HR / AP Manager at TruGreen, learned about Food Banks Mississauga from our website and shortly after reached out to Julie, our Development Coordinator, to find out more information about becoming fundraisers, or, as we like to call them: Hunger Warriors. Sheila challenged her TruGreen team to split into four teams, and set up fundraising pages for each competing group on our peer-to-peer fundraising platform.

“It was easy to use and manage our teams. The simplicity was incredible, and we had four teams set up within minutes.”

Julie watched in awe and appreciation as the four teams ambitiously competed against each other, raising thousands of dollars to provide nutritious food for their neighbours.

“Watching the TruGreen fundraiser unfold was incredible! Seeing their teams doing so well and the donations pouring in was more than just about the money. It felt like we were all working together, sharing our commitment to helping those who need it most. It was so exciting and made me really proud to know that every dollar donated was a sign of someone’s kindness and support for our cause. It reminded me how amazing it is when we all come together to make a difference.”

The Green Machine, a team of nine led by Michael George, received seven donations totalling over $300.

Next up? A team of nine called The Crimson Stormtroopers (led by Andrea Baluszek) who received 24 donations and over $750.

Then there’s the Orange Crushers, a team of eleven led by Amy Cleland, that received 48 donations totalling over $2,300!

And then, surpassing them all with a lofty goal of $3000, is Team Blue. This nine-member team, led by Kartik Josyula, blew past their goal with a whopping 50 donations totalling over $4000!

Sheila says: “I can honestly say we had never done anything like this before, and I was unsure of the response we would get from our employees and of their requests for donations. I was quickly reassured as everyone jumped at the opportunity to raise funds for Food Banks Mississauga. The ease of use on the website – plus the assistance provided with the step-by-step instructions, and being able to have the donations hit Food Banks Mississauga directly without handling any cash or payments – was fantastic. Team spirit abounded, and knowing we were helping others really brought everyone together!”

Kartik, Team Blue leader, shared: “Going hungry should not be a reality for anyone in this world but unfortunately, we are faced with grim times. If it is in our power to make a difference, we should do what we can. Being part of this team and raising the amount that we did gave me hope, pride and a sense of fulfilment knowing that my team’s work and my work are instrumental in ensuring food is available now to more people in need.”

Their competition ended the third week of February, with a total of $7,454.80 fundraised for Food Banks Mississauga! We’re thrilled not only by the financial amount given, but also by the enthusiastic participation of the fundraisers and donors.

Julie shares: “TruGreen’s generous support means the world to our neighbours facing food insecurity. With the dollars raised, we can stretch every cent further, thanks to our partnerships with local companies, farmers, and wholesalers. This means we can buy more food to help even more people in need. Plus, your donations help us cover the extra costs of handling and transporting food donations, making sure they reach those who need them most. We’re incredibly grateful for their kindness and support – it truly makes a difference in the lives of so many. Thank you, TruGreen!”

Are you inspired by the team at TruGreen? Here are two ways that YOU can become a Hunger Warrior yourself:

1. Start your own fundraiser!  Multiply your impact by rallying your community to donate to Food Banks Mississauga!
2. Take a page out of TruGreen’s book and encourage your company, faith or community group, or community of friends to compete against each other! See who can raise the most money to ensure access to nutritious food for your neighbours experiencing food insecurity in Mississauga.