10 Refrigerated Trucks to Strengthen 10 More
Food Distribution Programs Nationwide
45 Trucks Have Been Provided to 45 Food Banks
Across 21 States Since January
2021
ORLANDO,
Fla., Sept. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --
For the fourth consecutive year, Darden Restaurants is
partnering with Feeding America® to ensure food reaches
people facing hunger. Through a $2
million grant from the Darden Restaurants, Inc. Foundation
and support from Penske Truck Leasing, 26-foot refrigerated trucks
are being donated to 10 additional Feeding America member food
banks. Each truck, with a capacity of up to 12,000 pounds, will
support food distribution and mobile pantry programs at food banks
serving communities experiencing the highest need.
Food banks receiving a truck this year include:
- Central California Food Bank (Fresno,
Calif.)
- Coastal Bend Food Bank (Corpus
Christi, Texas)
- Feeding America, Kentucky's
Heartland (Elizabethtown,
Ky.)
- Harvest Hope Food Bank (Columbia,
S.C.)
- Inter-Faith Food Shuttle (Raleigh,
N.C.)
- Middle Georgia Community Food Bank (Macon, Ga.)
- Second Harvest of the Greater Valley (Manteca, Calif.)
- South Texas Food Bank (Laredo,
Texas)
- Three Square Food Bank (Las Vegas,
Nev.)
- United Food Bank (Mesa,
Ariz.)
"Darden is uniquely positioned to make a meaningful impact in
the movement to end hunger," said Rick
Cardenas, President and CEO of Darden Restaurants. "Through
our ongoing partnership with Feeding America and our Harvest food
donation program, we leverage our resources to help combat food
insecurity, ensuring nutritious meals reach families who need them
most."
The Need
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
reports that 13.5% of households experienced food insecurity in
2023, an increase from 12.8% in 2022. Consequently, the USDA
estimates that approximately 47 million people in the U.S. face
hunger. Ensuring food banks have reliable transportation is
essential, as it directly impacts their ability to deliver food
efficiently and prevent waste.
"Hunger exists in every zip code in the U.S., and it can affect
anyone. Basic costs like housing – or an unexpected expense – are
breaking budgets across the country," said Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding
America. "We are deeply grateful for the continued partnership with
Darden and Penske. Their support helps strengthen our efforts to
ensure food reaches communities where it is needed most and to
enable food banks to share fresh, healthy food like produce and
dairy with people facing hunger."
Responding to the Need
For 14 years, Darden and the
Darden Restaurants, Inc. Foundation have worked with Feeding
America to tackle food insecurity. Since January 2021, this partnership has delivered 45
refrigerated trucks and operational funding to 45 food banks across
21 states.
Simultaneously, Darden's Harvest food donation program has been
serving communities for over two decades by channeling surplus,
nutritious food from its restaurants to local nonprofits. With food
waste being a major issue in the U.S., where 92 billion pounds of
food are discarded annually, Darden's efforts are crucial. Over
this period, Darden has donated more than 140 million pounds of
food, translating to over 118 million meals* for people
experiencing hunger, helping to reduce the impact of food waste and
supporting individuals across the country.
*According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), one
meal is equal to 1.2 pounds of food.
About Darden Restaurants and the Darden Restaurants,
Inc. Foundation
Darden's family of restaurants features some
of the most recognizable and successful brands in full-service
dining — Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Yard House, Ruth's
Chris Steak House, Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, The Capital Grille,
Seasons 52, Eddie V's and Bahama
Breeze. For more information, visit www.darden.com.
The Darden Restaurants, Inc. Foundation works to bring to life
our spirit of service through its philanthropic support of
charitable organizations across the country. Since 1995, the Darden
Restaurants, Inc. Foundation has awarded more than $110 million in grants to non-profit
organizations such as Feeding America, National Restaurant
Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) and American Red
Cross.
About Feeding America
Feeding America is committed to
an America where no one is hungry. We support tens of millions of
people who experience food insecurity to get the food and resources
they say they need to thrive as part of a nationwide network of
food banks, statewide food bank associations, food pantries and
meal programs. We also invest in innovative solutions to increase
equitable access to nutritious food, advocate for legislation that
improves food security and work to address factors that impact food
security, such as health, cost of living and employment.
We partner with people experiencing food insecurity,
policymakers, organizations, and supporters, united with them in a
movement to end hunger. Visit FeedingAmerica.org to learn more.
Media Contact:
Kiara
Buckner
Darden Restaurants
(407) 245-5156 | kbuckner@darden.com
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SOURCE Darden Restaurants, Inc.: General
