Ashley’s Community Giving Philosophy

We are so lucky to have so many stories of giving back to share. This week, we are sharing the story of Ashley and her team at our bakery in Kingston, ON. 

Ashley, the franchisee of RioCan Centre Kingston in Ontario, joined the COBS Bread community in 2016. Since then, Ashley has been doing what she loves – giving back to the community, while operating her own bakery.

“I was a regular customer at COBS Bread when I lived in Victoria. When I moved to Kingston, I missed COBS Bread’s fresh bread and baked treats! At the same time, I was thinking about making a career change, so I applied to become a COBS Bread franchisee” says Ashley, the RioCan Centre Kingston Bakery Owner.

Doughnation Campaign

During this year’s Doughnation Campaign, Ashley partnered with The Food Sharing Project, a charity that the RioCan team has been partnering with for three years. Customers were encouraged to make donation in-bakery and online for the charity. “We have been partnering with the same charity because our customers have gotten familiar with the group over the years. It helps us raise more funds for the group, while sharing their purpose with the community,” says Ashley.  

The Food Sharing Project is a charity that provides nutritious food to all publicly funded schools across Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox, and Addington. Schools use this food to operate a Student Nutrition Program that provides healthy food to any student. “I think it is important to partner with a charity that the team is passionate about and can resonate with, so we can have fun while giving back to the community,” says Ashley. 

Doughnation Day

On April 2nd, $2 from every 6-pack of hot cross buns was donated to local charities. Representatives from The Food Sharing Project were at the bakery with a table set up, and spoke to their impact and mission to customers. To support the campaign, the charity also shared on social media and reached out to their media partners to amplify the message.  

At the end of the Doughnation Campaign, the RioCan team raised $34,769 for the Food Sharing Project, with the Gillespie family’s gracious matching in this donation.