Staples Canada and MAP join forces to address chronic homelessness in Canada through Even the Odds Campaign

Funds raised through Even the Odds support life-changing research and programs to help create a more equitable future in communities across the country

RICHMOND HILL, ON, April 14, 2025 /CNW/ - Staples Canada and MAP, Canada's largest health equity research centre, are tackling chronic homelessness in Canada. By supporting MAP's innovative research and evidence-based programs, Staples' Even the Odds program is raising funds that help people to get housed, stay housed, and regain their health and wellbeing.

"Even the Odds is about creating pathways to opportunity, and we recognize that stable housing is fundamental to education, employment, and overall well-being," said Rachel Huckle, CEO, Staples Canada. "The proven success of MAP's research gives us confidence that our support is making a tangible, lasting difference in communities across Canada."

Until May 11, customers can donate to Even the Odds and fund this life-changing research at any one of Staples' 298 stores or online at Staples.ca/EvenTheOdds. All donations will be matched by the company up to $500,000.

For more than 25 years, MAP has been a leader in solutions-focused research to find the best ways to improve health and housing outcomes for people who are unhoused, including co-leading the largest research trial in Canadian history to evaluate solutions to end homelessness. MAP is based at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto.

"Our studies show that people experiencing chronic homelessness don't just need housing—they need ongoing, individualized support in order to thrive and make positive changes in their lives," said Dr. Stephen Hwang, Director of MAP and the Canada Research Chair in Homelessness, Housing and Health. "I'm proud to say that MAP is among the organizations leading the world in this research, and the success of our Even the Odds programs demonstrates the power of investment in evidence-based interventions. Thanks to Staples Canada's commitment, we can continue scaling to reach unhoused individuals across the country."

Donations raised through Even the Odds will help fund several critical MAP programs, including MAP's signature Navigator Program. The program pairs hospital patients who are homeless with an outreach counsellor—a "Navigator." The Navigator gets to know the patient and connects them with the health and social support they need to break cycles of homelessness and poor health, and to move forward in securing housing that works for them.

With support from Even the Odds, MAP has expanded the Navigator program from St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto to St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver. To date, the innovative program has provided outreach support to more than a thousand people experiencing homelessness in Toronto and Vancouver, and will launch at CHUM (Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal) in Montréal later this year.

Expanding Equity-Building Initiatives

Since the launch of Even the Odds in 2021, Staples has raised more than $7 million in support of MAP. In addition to the Navigator program, this funding has expanded MAP's work throughout Canada to help end childhood health inequities, and to break down barriers to care and disease prevention. These equity-building initiatives include:

• APPLE Schools, an award-winning health promotion initiative to support a healthy start for children in underserved communities.
• OurCare, the largest cross-Canada conversation about the future of primary care and how to create a stronger, more equitable system.
• Healthbox, 'smart' vending machines that dispense free health supplies and essentials such as warm socks and hygiene products to people experiencing major barriers to healthcare.
• Healthy Food Prescription, a landmark research trial to test a promising approach to food insecurity and chronic disease inequities: grocery store vouchers prescribed by physicians to low-income patients with diabetes.

Staples Even the Odds Campaign, in support of MAP, continues to drive lasting solutions to homelessness by funding innovative research and programs. Through collaboration and donor support, it is helping people overcome barriers, secure stable housing and build healthier, more equitable futures for communities across Canada. To learn more about the Even the Odds program, visit staples.ca/eventheodds.

About MAP

MAP is Canada's largest research centre focused on health equity and the social determinants of health. Internationally recognized for groundbreaking science and innovation, MAP develops and implements real-world, evidence-driven program and policy solutions that disrupt cycles of socioeconomic exclusion and poor health. For more than 25 years, MAP has partnered with communities and policy makers across the country to take on complex issues such as homelessness, intimate partner violence, inequitable access to healthcare and the prevention of opioid-related harms. MAP's impacts span from local to national and beyond. MAP's vision is a healthier future for all. MAP is based at St. Michael's Hospital, a fully affiliated University of Toronto teaching and research-intensive hospital and hub for care in downtown Toronto. St. Michael's Hospital is a site of Unity Health Toronto, a hospital network serving patients, residents and clients across the full spectrum of care. Learn more at maphealth.ca 

About Staples Canada

Staples Canada is The Working and Learning Company. We are a Canadian company committed to helping parents, teachers, businesses, and entrepreneurs work smarter, learn more and grow every day. Our network includes 298 stores across Canada and staples.ca, printing and shipping services at Staples Print, and Staples Studio co-working spaces. To service the unique needs of businesses, we also have a number of dedicated B2B brands that support business customers of all sizes, which include Staples Preferred, Staples Professional, Supreme Office Supplies and Furniture, Denis Office Supplies, Monarch Office Supply Inc. and Beatties. Headquartered in Richmond Hill, Ontario, we are committed to the communities we serve across Canada, and are a proud partner of MAP through our Even The Odds fundraising and awareness initiative that aims to eliminate critical gaps in health equity. Visit staples.ca for more information or engage with @StaplesCanada on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or TikTok. 

SOURCE Staples Canada ULC