Donations accepted at Co-operators offices in northern and central Alberta

GUELPH, ON, June 24, 2011 /CNW/ - Eighty Co-operators agents in central and northern Alberta are banding together to hold a food drive to help the residents of Slave Lake as they now begin to rebuild their lives after the devastating wildfires that destroyed one third of the town and displaced over 7,000 people.

Non-perishable food items can be donated to the Slave Lake food bank at participating Co-operators offices until August 1, 2011.  For drop off points please refer to the attached backgrounder or to find an agent's office please use the Find an Agent link on www.cooperators.ca.

"The people of Slave Lake are nothing if not resilient," said Sherry Watty, The Co-operators Agent in Slave Lake who lost her home and vehicle in the fire, but who continues to work out of her office, which survived the blaze. "The food bank currently has a lot of donations, but we want to make sure that remains the case a few months from now. Albertans and Canadians have been incredibly generous in doing what they can to help this community out, and we'll always be grateful for their kindness."

WestFreight will be donating a truck and driver to deliver them to Slave Lake.

The Co-operators Emergency Response Team has been on location in Northern Alberta working to serve affected clients. Staff members from various parts of the country have been working in the area, and mobile offices have been established to support those dealing with the tragedy.

About The Co-operators:
The Co-operators Group Limited is a Canadian-owned co-operative with more than $40 billion in assets under administration. Through its group of companies it offers home, auto, life, group, travel, commercial and farm insurance, as well as investment products. The Co-operators is well known for its community involvement and its commitment to sustainability. The Co-operators is ranked #1 among the 50 Best Corporate Citizens in Canada by Corporate Knights, and listed among the 50 Best Employers in Canada. For more information visit www.cooperators.ca.

Backgrounder

Non-perishable food items can be dropped off at the following Co-operators offices.