On  Sunday February  25, we invited our 2024 Season Seat Members to join us at the Caldwell Family Centre to help us unveil our brand new “Community First” Primary Kit. The Atleti Family in attendance were given the opportunity to view and purchase the new jersey and day early before it became open to the general public. Our new local players Kris Twardek, Matteo De Brienne and U-Sports draft pick Lucca Piccioli also stopped by to show their support, modelling the new jersey, taking pictures and signing autographs for our Season Seat Members. A special thanks goes to Maple Lodge Farms, who helped make this all possible, and served up their famous ultimate chicken hot dogs at the launch event. Click HERE to purchase the jersey.

Atlético Ottawa is already set to distribute almost 2,000 meals to low-income residents in the nation’s capital, in collaboration with Canadian Premier League (CPL) sponsors Maple Lodge Farms (MLF), as the 2024 Primary Jersey initiative (The Community First Kit) gathers momentum.

The Community First Kit battles food insecurity and was officially launched on Monday, February 26, 2024, on the local television program CTV Morning Live. With the sale of each jersey, front-of-shirt sponsors MLF are donating a case of their delicious chicken products to our community food centre partners.

Support for the initiative and sale of jerseys over the first 24 hours have already allowed 1,710 meals to be allocated to the Caldwell Family Centre (CFC) to complement their programs tackling social isolation and the food insecurity crisis in Ottawa. Our goal is to help provide dinner to thousands of low-income residents in the capital, and each jersey sale will provide dinner to 30 people, or six families.

“I feel so much pride in being part of a partnership to address the food insecurity crisis in Ottawa,” said Eugene Williams, Executive Director, Caldwell Family Centre. “We are very excited to be part of this initiative with Maple Lodge Farms as we are going to be able to help hundreds, if not thousands of families who are currently experiencing food insecurity in Ottawa. When I come to TD Pace this season, and I see the players and the fans wearing this jersey, it will make me feel so grateful for the support of a community-focused club like Atlético Ottawa who aren’t just talking about tackling food insecurity. They are doing something about it.”

In 2023, CFC prepared over 83,000 meals through its various programs and saw over 100 people per day utilize their food bank, with 85% of people using the programs as their primary source of nutritious and balanced meals.

Maple Lodge Farms has been the Official Food Protein Partner of the Canadian Premier League since November 2022, and has its logo proudly displayed on the front of Atleti kits for the first time during the 2023 CPL season. A family-owned company and Canada’s largest independently-owned poultry processor, Maple Lodge Farms is proud to help fuel Canada’s elite soccer players and their fans, just as the company has fueled Canadian families with high-quality chicken products for more than six decades.

More information about Maple Lodge Farms:
Maple Lodge Farms (MLF) is Canada’s largest independent, family-owned poultry processor, supplying wholesome, nutritious chicken to Canadian families since 1955. Based in Brampton, Ontario, with additional operations in Mississauga, ON, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, MLF offers a full lineup of chicken products, including fresh and seasoned chicken cuts, frozen boxed meats, chicken bacon, deli meats, and wieners. Learn more at maplelodgefarms.com or by visiting the brand’s Instagram (@maplelodgefarms) and Facebook (@MapleLodgeFarms).

More information about Caldwell Family Centre:
The Caldwell Family Centre (CFC)  is a registered charity that has been working tirelessly to alleviate the effects of poverty in Ottawa since 1984. During our 40-year history, CFC has offered a variety of innovative people-centred services which helped thousands of low-income families. Food insecurity is currently a harsh reality in Ottawa. Due to the high cost of housing and food, more and more people are struggling to make ends meet.

CFC is responding to this food emergency by offering a Food Bank and a daily meal program which provides food and meals for thousands of people living in poverty. We also offer family support services, a Drop-in Centre and a Computer Café which helps to build relationships and foster a sense of community belonging. For more information about Caldwell Family Centre or to donate, please click here.