How Hofland Is Creating Global Impact Through Giving
Empowering children and communities through corporate kindness
Written by Deborah Wolfe
on March 8, 2023
When you grow up in the family business, you learn to work hard. To love what you do. And – if you’re Glenn Hofland – to give back for all you were blessed with. Glenn is president of John G. Hofland Ltd., a company supplying some 5,000 stores across Canada with wholesale flowers, plants and décor.
But the company’s impact only begins in our country. That impact is global and promises to last for generations. That’s because Glenn and his colleagues are changing lives for children around the world, through a partnership with World Vision Canada.
When you grow up in a family business, you learn to work hard, to love what you do—and, if you're Glenn Hofland, to give back for all you’ve been blessed with.
Glenn is the president of John G. Hofland Ltd., a wholesale supplier of flowers, plants, and décor to more than 5,000 stores across Canada. But the company’s impact doesn’t stop at national borders—it’s reaching across the globe.
Through a meaningful partnership with World Vision Canada, Hofland is helping transform lives—especially for children—in vulnerable communities.
In the Philippines, Hofland is supporting local fishers and families, while its employee sponsorship-matching program is helping children on several continents grow up nourished, educated, and empowered.
In this story, you’ll learn:
- How Hofland’s family values became a global mission
- Why Glenn chose World Vision as a partner
- The impact being made in the Philippines
- How employees are involved
- Why more Canadian businesses should consider giving back
- How your company can get started
John G. Hofland in the early days, hard at work. From the beginning, he taught his children to ‘give back’ for all they were blessed with. Photo: John G. Hofland Ltd.
The Story Behind Hofland Flowers
In 1956, John G. Hofland, a young Dutch entrepreneur, and his wife Hendrika, started a small greenhouse operation in Mississauga, Ontario. They began selling beautiful wholesale flowers to the Toronto market.
Over time, the company grew—adding ceramics, giftware, and more. Today, it remains a family-run business, with Glenn Hofland (the sixth of their seven children) as president since 2000.
By kindergarten, Glenn was already working in the greenhouse. At six, he earned a penny per sleeve folding plant protectors. And at one pivotal moment: “I went into the cooler and picked 25 red roses to give to my girlfriend,” Glenn recalls. “That girlfriend is now my wife. We’ve been married for 32 years and have three grown children.”
From humble beginnings to national scale, Hofland remains focused on serving florists—not the public—with everything they need under one roof. Their 120-person team works closely to serve licensed businesses, either through a vast warehouse or online ordering.
One of the many images on the Hofland website, of florists’ work incorporating flowers and décor from the company. Photo: David Austin Roses
How Glenn Hofland Chose World Vision Canada
In 2005, Glenn was invited by Hazel McCallion, then mayor of Mississauga, to join a World Vision trip to Tanzania. There, he saw both the hardship of communities in need and the power of sustainable transformation. “Just to sit with a family, hear their story, know they may not eat today … it changes you,” Glenn says.
What impressed him most was World Vision’s long-term approach: helping communities become self-sufficient, hiring local staff, and building lasting relationships.
“I have always believed in ‘teaching a person to fish, rather than giving them the fish.’ World Vision most certainly does that.”
Children in Tanzania greet visitors in 2005, when Glenn Hofland and other Mississauga business owners travelled to see World Vision programs. They went with Hazel McCallion, then-mayor of Mississauga. Every child in this picture lost at lea
Hofland's Impact Through World Vision Canada
Hofland supports projects in Sorsogon, Philippines through annual gifts and a unique employee sponsorship-matching program .
Increasing Fishing Income
- Donated boats reduce fishers' reliance on intermediaries
- More income means children can go to school and eat well
Aquaculture Development
- Built fish ponds with 2,500 fingerlings and 30,000 prawns
- After Typhoon Kammuri, ponds were quickly rebuilt
- Women received training in agri-fishery to contribute to household income
Health & Nutrition
- Funded medical checkups and treatment for vulnerable children
- Taught families urban gardening and poultry raising to improve nutrition
- Promoted gender equality and responsible parenthood
COVID-19 Response
- Distributed food and hygiene kits
- Provided PPE to frontline health workers
- Pivoted quickly to meet urgent local needs during the pandemic
World Vision aims to hire locally whenever possible – in the countries where children live. These team members bring insight, sensitivities and cultural insight that help build trust with communities right from the start. Photo: Dara Chhim
How Glenn Involves His Staff
Glenn believes that meaningful giving starts within the team. Here’s how Hofland’s employees are part of the impact:
a. Child Sponsorship Matching
- For every child an employee sponsors, Hofland matches by sponsoring another
- The team maintains a “ Hofland’s Children ” board to share updates and letters
- Even employees who can’t sponsor can still participate by writing to sponsored children
b. Annual Giving
- Glenn selects annual development projects with World Vision
- He’s intentional about choosing causes that resonate with staff—especially projects in the Philippines, where many employees have roots “It brought a tear to [a retired employee’s] eye, hearing we’d decided to give back to his home region,” Glenn shares.
Donors like Hofland have helped equip Filipino fishers with boats, to save them the costs of renting through intermediaries. Fishers’ income increases, providing income to nourish and educate their children. Photo: World Vision Philippines
Why Canadian Corporations Should Give Back
“Businesses are the engines of the economy,” Glenn says. “Owners have a responsibility to steer them in a way that benefits communities, countries, and the world.”
Giving back isn’t just about leaving a legacy—it’s about making an immediate difference, today.
Fishing is Sorsogon’s primary source of income. But many boat owners and intermediaries were profiting while the families of local fishermen lived in poverty. With the help of donors like Hofland, the boats World Vision provided are helping
How Your Company Can Partner with World Vision
World Vision Canada has been a trusted partner to Canadians since 1957, including hundreds of businesses.
Partnership benefits include:
- Strategic alignment with your company’s values
- Real, measurable impact for children, families, and communities
- Dedicated support from World Vision’s corporate partnerships team
"World Vision didn’t just teach me to fish—they taught me I could fish." — Edgar Gonzales , Philanthropy Advisor, World Vision (and a former sponsored child)
Whether you're a small business or large corporation, your company can make a lasting difference.
Throughout the Philippines, World Vision provides guidance and support to groups starting small businesses. Photo: Lanelyn Carillo
Get Started Today
Visit World Vision Canada's corporate partnerships page to explore how your business can build a better world—one step at a time.
A large board in Hofland’s lunchroom communicates the joy the company feels at being able to help children around the world. On the board are children supported through Hofland’s matching program. Photo: John G. Hofland Ltd.
Glenn Hofland (back row, middle, striped shirt) nurtures a strong, close team. Group charity projects are a big part of that strength. Photo: John G. Hofland Ltd.
A boy in the World Vision-supported community in the Philippines recently improved his reading skills through a special literacy club. During the COVID-19 lockdown, he regularly devoured the local newspaper. Photo: Mong Jimenez
Vincent van Gogh’s “Flower Beds in Holland” shows a farmer nurturing beds of flowers which he will then sell, to provide for his family. Hofland’s generosity has helped many parents provide for their own children. Photo: Public Domain
“Our parents taught us that when we are blessed, we give back – whether in our own community or around the world.” — Glenn Hofland