Vons supermarkets in Ventura County on Wednesday launched the “Help Us End Hunger” food drive to benefit FOOD Share.
Over the summer months, food donations to FOOD Share tend to drop dramatically, despite the fact that demand for food assistance continues to soar, FOOD Share reported in a media release. Unemployed and low-income parents, whose children receive free or reduced-priced school meals during the school term, are forced to turn to other nutrition assistance programs for help feeding their children during the summer months.
Vons is helping FOOD Share fill the gap created by this increased demand with its “Help Us End Hunger” campaign which runs through July 24 at all Ventura County Vons supermarket locations.
“There is always a focus on food donations around the holidays but the reality is that FOOD Share needs food 365 days a year,” Carlos Illingworth, Vons’ manager of public affairs & government relations, stated in the release. “Our goal is to help FOOD Share when they need it the most, over the summer months, when thousands of Ventura County school children are no longer receiving free school meals.”
Customers are invited to purchase pre-packed bags of food for $10 which includes some of FOOD Share’s most needed food items — peanut butter, canned tuna, canned fruits and vegetables, macaroni & cheese, and cereal — and drop them in FOOD Share’s famous yellow food drive barrels at the front of the store.
“Vons has been a long-term supporter of FOOD Share and their help this summer could not have come at a better time,” Bonnie Weigel, CEO of FOOD Share, stated in the release. “More and more hungry friends need our help and this food drive will help ensure that we keep our shelves stocked throughout the summer months.”
Call 805.983.7100 or visit http://www.foodshare.com for more information.