TORONTO, Jan. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AT&T Global Services Canada today announced a contribution of USD$12,500 to Meal Exchange, a Canadian-based, national student-founded, youth-driven charitable organization. This donation will allow the organization to further its goal to help eliminate the root causes of hunger and poverty by engaging tomorrow's leaders, today. Specifically, the funds from AT&T Global Services Canada will be used to enhance education initiatives and support Hunger Awareness Week set to occur on various campuses across the nation.

Hunger is a major issue across Canada with 2.4 million Canadians suffering from hunger each day. Meal Exchange is founded on the premise that students genuinely want to help find solutions to this suffering. Meal Exchange is dedicated to its ongoing mandate to donate food to registered charitable organizations and individuals in need; educate students about the root causes of hunger; create and involve students in volunteer positions with not-for-profit organizations that address hunger and hunger-related issues; and identify and implement student-driven solutions to hunger.

"We are thrilled to support Meal Exchange as it both provides assistance to those suffering from hunger and, through its education initiatives, encourages students to be active in their communities," stated David Denault, General Manager of AT&T Global Services Canada. "Our company remains committed to the education and development of our young people and we believe that this organization is an inclusive one that fosters engagement and leadership development opportunities for our future leaders."

The Meal Exchange education initiatives are committed to providing student-led research and resources on hunger in Canada and how youth can take action to address food insecurity in their local communities. By providing such resources, Meal Exchange is committed to developing young community leaders and engaged Canadian citizens.

"By focusing on education, AT&T Global Services Canada is supporting the backbone of our success," says Dave Kranenburg, Executive Director of Meal Exchange. "In both small towns and large cities, people are shocked by the prevalence of hunger in their community and the reality of who is hungry. Once they realize the scope of the problem, they are happy to support our campaigns and that is the reason that students have been able to generate over $1 million in donations in just the last three years."

Meal Exchange also provides the necessary resources for campus chapters to run a Hunger Awareness week each year aimed to increase student and community awareness of these issues. The funding provides materials and resources for the week long series of events and education campaigns, which directly impact the fundraising initiatives in the communities to alleviate hunger.

Meal Exchange is a national student-founded, student-driven, registered charity that helps young Canadians realize their potential to improve the future of their communities, through meaningful opportunities to reduce local hunger. Meal Exchange offers students in universities, colleges, and secondary schools fun and creative programmes that blend student energy and passion with their strengths and capacities as youth leaders.

Meal Exchange began in 1993, when 17-year-old Wilfrid Laurier student Rahul Raj was faced with a huge balance on his university meal plan. Driven by his grandmother's commitment to the poor in India, Rahul devised a plan to put the extra money to good use. Convinced that students genuinely wanted to help, he requested their assistance in delivering the donated food to local social organizations. Incorporated in 1998, Meal Exchange has built a national network of chapters and supported thousands of students across Canada in raising nearly $2.5 million to address local hunger.

About Philanthropy at AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is committed to advancing education, strengthening communities and improving lives. Through its philanthropic initiatives and partnerships, AT&T supports projects that create learning opportunities; promote academic and economic achievement; and address community needs. In 2007, AT&T contributed more than $164 million through corporate-,employee- and AT&T Foundation-giving programs. AT&T and the AT&T Foundation, the corporate philanthropy organization of AT&T, combine more than $1.9 billion of historic charitable commitment to communities across the country.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates, AT&T operating companies, are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. Among their offerings are the world's most advanced IP-based business communications services and the nation's leading wireless, high speed Internet access and voice services. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators in such fields as communications equipment. As part of its three-screen integration strategy, AT&T is expanding its TV entertainment offerings. In 2008, AT&T again ranked No. 1 on Fortune magazine's World's Most Admired Telecommunications Company list and No. 1 on America's Most Admired Telecommunications Company list. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com.

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