C&S Wholesale Grocers Announces Hunger Action Month Contributions

Keene, NH, October 24, 2014 --(PR.com)-- To make a difference on behalf of children and families, C&S Wholesale Grocers, its employees and affiliate companies, participated in Hunger Action Month during September. The company announced grants to food banks and employee engagement initiatives to address domestic hunger.

Contributions to Food Banks
C&S made grants to 13 Feeding America member food banks in or near communities where the company has a presence. The contributions focused on projects that address child hunger including the Back Pack Program, Mobile and School Pantries. An estimated 36,000 children will be reached with nutritious food through the grants.

“It’s unacceptable that 1 in 5 children in the US are struggling with not having enough food, or enough nutritious food,” said Rick Cohen, Chairman and CEO of C&S. Through our grant making and employee involvement we can be part of the solution and help families experiencing hardship.”

Donations were made to --

· Capital Area Food Bank, Washington, DC
Grant for the Weekend Bag (Back Pack) Program at 27 schools and sites in Prince George’s County and in the District of Columbia where 30% of children under 18 years old are food insecure. Anticipated reach: 1,026 children.

· Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
Funding to extend Back Pack Program for students at six elementary schools in low income neighborhoods in metro-Orlando. Anticipated reach: 2,400 children.

· Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, Indianapolis, IN
Support toward expansion of the Back Sacks Weekend Food For Kids program during two academic years. Anticipated reach: 1,000 children.

· Feeding South Florida, Pembroke Park, FL
Grant for the Back Pack Program at two elementary schools in low income neighborhoods. Anticipated reach: 225 children.

· Hawaii Food Bank, Honolulu, HI
Funding for a year of Ohana Produce Plus Mobile Pantry distributions on the leeward side of Oahu providing fresh fruits, vegetables, and dairy products each month. Anticipated reach: 3,780 children.

· Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, North Hatfield, MA
Support for the Mobile Food Pantry by adding four distributions per month at new sites, including at low income housing complexes. Anticipated reach: 1,100 children.

· Food Bank of Greater New Orleans, LA
Support for the Back Pack and Cooking Matters Programs during two academic years at an elementary school in a low income neighborhood of Hammond, LA. Anticipated reach: 157 children.
· New Hampshire Food Bank, Manchester, NH
Grant for four trips by the Mobile Food Pantry to Monadnock Region communities. The food distributions will be targeted to seven elementary schools where more than 50% of the students are eligible for free or reduced price meals. Anticipated reach: 700 children.

· Foodshare, Bloomfield, CT
Funding for food distributions to children and families through 11 Back Pack programs and School Pantry Programs in communities in the Greater Hartford area. Anticipated reach: 1,200 children.

· Feeding Northeast Florida, Jacksonville, FL
Support for the Snack Pack (Back Pack) Program at an elementary school in Baldwin, FL and four trips by the mobile food pantry. Anticipated reach: 800 children.

· Maryland Food Bank, Baltimore, MD
Support to expand the School Pantry Program in Harford County from four schools to nine during the current academic year. Anticipated reach: 4,800 children.

· Montgomery Area Food Bank, Montgomery, AL
Funds to enable the Mobile Pantry to make stops in low income neighborhoods within Montgomery, AL and surrounding communities. Anticipated reach: 3,400 children.

· Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano, Concord, CA
Funding to expand two programs in Sacramento – Back Snacks (a program of the River City Food Bank) and Food For Kids (a program of the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services). Anticipated reach: 11,000 children.

Food
As a Mission Partner to Feeding America, C&S Wholesale Grocers donates food to food banks throughout the year. During Hunger Action Month, the company made special donations to the New Hampshire and Vermont Food Banks and to Foodshare in Connecticut for their annual Convoy of Caring event.

For the twelfth year, C&S employees participated in the company’s Food for Kids drive. Non-perishable items such as peanut butter, soup, and tuna were donated by employees and given to the closest food bank. C&S matched each pound collected with a $1 contribution to Feeding America for child hunger initiatives. Since 2003, food donations by employees have totaled over 98 tons.

About C&S Wholesale Grocers, Inc.
C&S Wholesale Grocers, Inc., based in Keene, NH, is the largest wholesale grocery supply company in the U.S., supplying 5,000 independent supermarkets, chain stores, military bases, and institutions with over 150,000 different products. Founded in 1918 as a supplier to independent grocery stores, C&S now services customers of all sizes, from independent retailers to large chains such as Stop & Shop, Giant of Carlisle, Giant of Landover, BI-LO/Winn-Dixie, Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. (A&P), Safeway, and Target.

C&S community involvement programs support initiatives to fight hunger and to promote the health and enrichment of communities that are homes to the company's employees and facilities. To learn more: http://community.cswg.com.