Grant will support Backpack Program that provides weekend meals to kids in need
The Central Texas Food Bank has received a $40,000 grant from the Randalls Foundation and Hunger Is to help feed hungry children. This grant was made possible by Randalls customers and employees who contributed generously during a month-long in-store fundraiser this September. Hunger Is, with support from Academy Award®-nominated actress and Hunger Is Ambassador Viola Davis, raised funds from shoppers throughout 2,300 Albertsons Companies stores to distribute more than $4.6 million to fund 110 programs across 33 states in the U.S. and the District of Columbia, to provide breakfasts to children in need and help eradicate childhood hunger.
The $40,000 Hunger Is grant will support feeding the 1 in 4 Central Texas children living in households that struggle to provide sufficient and healthy meals, through the Food Bank’s weekend Backpack Program. The program is designed to meet weekend meal needs, including healthy breakfasts, for children in low-income families. At the end of each week, participating children receive bags of healthy, nutritious, non-perishable meals that they take home with them and eat during the weekend. Each backpack contains approximately four meals. In 2016, the Food Bank distributed more than 48,000 backpacks at 63 partner sites.
“The Central Texas Food Bank is thrilled to receive this Hunger Is grant and the recognition of the Randalls Foundation for our work,” said Derrick Chubbs, President & CEO of the Central Texas Food Bank. “Raising awareness and making a difference around the critical issue of child hunger in Central Texas is a big priority for us and we thank everyone who paused in their shopping routine to think about the children in need in our community.”
To learn more about the fight against childhood hunger and to donate to the cause, visit HungerIs.org.
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ABOUT THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK
The mission of Central Texas Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. Founded in 1981, the Food Bank provides food and grocery products through a network of nearly 250 Partner Agencies and nutrition programs, serving nearly 46,000 people every week. Headquartered in Austin, the Food Bank serves 21 counties in Central Texas, an area about twice the size of Massachusetts. For more information on the Food Bank and its programs, visit centraltexasfoodbank.org.
ABOUT HUNGER IS
Hunger Is, a joint charitable program of the Albertsons Companies Foundation and the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), is designed to build awareness and raise funds in an effort to eradicate childhood hunger in America. Funds raised through Hunger Is directly benefit programs focused on combating childhood hunger and improving health-related outcomes. For more information, visit www.HungerIs.org. Through the Hunger Is Advisory Committee (HIAC), Hunger Is works together with the leading hunger organizations including Drexel University, Center for Hunger-Free Communities; Feeding America; Food Research and Action Center (FRAC); Hunger Free America; Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign; and WhyHunger. The HIAC provides guidance in defining and addressing needs and makes funding recommendations for approval by The Albertsons Companies Foundation and EIF Boards of Directors.
ABOUT THE ALBERTSONS COMPANIES FOUNDATION
Founded in 2001, the Albertsons Companies Foundation, formerly the Safeway Foundation, supports causes that impact our customers' lives. Albertsons Companies stores provide the opportunity to mobilize funding and create awareness in our neighborhoods through the generous contributions by our customers, our employees' passion and partnerships with our vendors. We focus on giving locally in the areas of health and human services, hunger relief, education and helping people with disabilities. Albertsons Companies and the Albertsons Companies Foundation have invested $2 billion in our neighborhoods since 2001. For more information about the Albertsons Companies Foundation, visit www.albertsonscompaniesfoundation.org.
ABOUT THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY FOUNDATION
Founded in 1942, the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) is a multifaceted organization that occupies a unique place in the world of philanthropy. By mobilizing and leveraging the powerful voice and creative talents of the entertainment industry, as well as cultivating the support of organizations (public and private) and philanthropists committed to social responsibility, EIF builds awareness and raises funds, developing and enhancing programs on the local, national and global level that facilitate positive social change. For more information, visit www.eifoundation.org.
