PLEASANTON, Calif. — With the help of Safeway customers, Safeway here donated nearly 362,000 bags of groceries for food banks and other hunger relief centers throughout the U.S., as part of the Help Us End Hunger (Every Bag Counts) food drive conducted with Kraft Foods.
The Help Us End Hunger (Every Bag Counts) food drive was central to Safeway's end-of-year giving initiative. Pantry staples were pre-selected and bagged, allowing customers to purchase the bag for a discounted price and place it in a donation barrel that went directly to a local food bank.
Kraft Foods donated the monetary equivalent of 3 million meals — $420,000 — to local food banks in Safeway's U.S. operating divisions. Part of Kraft Foods' donation helps support the efforts of 100 Safeway stores that sold the most food drive bags for local food banks.
These "Top 100 Food Banks" will receive a monetary grant as part of Kraft Foods' three million meal donation.
"Hunger is a very serious issue in our country that often goes overlooked," said Larree Renda, Safeway executive vice president and chair of the Safeway Foundation, in a statement. "Sadly, more than 50 million Americans, or one in six of our neighbors, struggles to put food on their tables. That's why we joined with Kraft Foods and encouraged our customers to help us tackle this problem. The Help Us End Hunger (Every Bag Counts) food drive and Kraft Foods' meal donation meant that nearly 362,000 families in need had nutritious food."