Carnie and Wendy Wilson, Santa Claus Joins Vons to Help Families in Need
Convoy of Vons trucks will depart Los Angeles with $350,000 of food to assist Hunger Free America and community foodbanks
in desperate need of additional holiday donations
LOS ANGELES, Calif., December 18, 2001 - More than 670,000 meals will be provided to children and families in
California and Nevada due to the generosity of Vons and Pavilions customers and employees. Because of the tragic September
11th event, many food banks are now calling for greater assistance to help hungry families and children this holiday season.
Carnie and Wendy Wilson, Hungry Free America Celebrity Ambassadors, and Santa Claus joined Vons President, Tom Keller,
volunteers from area food banks, and volunteers from community organizations today in sending off a seven-truck convoy that
is delivering more than $350,000 in food and cash donations to food banks throughout southern California and southern Nevada.
The convoy of trucks and food donations caps off a Vons sponsored two-month drive that ends December 31, aimed at raising
awareness about hunger and the millions of families that suffer each year as a result. All 326 Vons and Pavilions stores
participated in the Vons Round Up Campaign that encourages customers to round up their grocery bill to the next dollar to
support local food banks.
"Over the last few months, we have seen a downtown in local community giving," said Tom Keller, President of Vons, Inc. "Now
more than ever, we need to support our local food banks providing emergency food assistance to increasing numbers of hungry
people."
The Vons program supports food banks providing meals to children in southern California and southern Nevada. Proceeds will
also benefit Hunger Free America, a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation to raise awareness about the health and
education implications of childhood hunger in the U.S. For every $1,000 raised, more than 10,000 children will be able to
eat a nutritious meal, according to Michael Flood, Executive Director of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.
Keller presented a check to Carnie and Wendy Wilson, Hunger Free America Ambassadors and Michael Flood, Executive Director,
Los Angeles Regional Food Bank for $350,000, representing the $300,000 Vons food donation, and an additional $50,000 donated
by customers as part of the Vons Round Up Program.
"The efforts of Vons and Pavilions, our customers and employees this holiday season remind us that there continues to be local
needs that require our contribution and support," said Mr. Keller. "I want to personally thank our generous customers and
dedicated employees for helping families in need this holiday season."
Hunger threatens more than 560,000 children in Los Angeles alone and more than 1.4 million children statewide according to
Michael Flood.
The convoy left a downtown Los Angeles Vons store on route to several other food banks where families were waiting for the
special holiday groceries. Local dignitaries planned to distribute the food and cash donations at other area food banks on
behalf of the Hunger Free America program. They include the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange
County, Ventura Foodshare, the Salvation Army Service Center in Las Vegas, the Fresno Community Food Bank, the Santa Barbara
Food Bank, the Bakersfield Rescue Mission, and the San Diego Food Bank.
Residents of California face higher rates of hunger and food insecurity, primarily due to the state's high cost of living.
More than 3.7 million people in California face hunger with children being disproportionately affected. An additional 16,000
southern Nevada residents are faced with threats to food security due to layoffs, and reduced hours resulting from the
September 11th attacks and its effect on the tourist and gaming industry.
During the last year, requests for emergency food assistance increased an average 23 percent in cities all across our nation.
54 percent of those requesting emergency food assistance were families with children. Causes of hunger include low-paying
jobs, high housing costs, economic downtown, rising utility costs, changes in the food stamp program, increasing medical and
health costs and overall weakening of the economy.
Vons is a division of Safeway Inc. operating 326 stores under the Vons and Pavilions banners in California and Nevada. Vons
employees have a continuing track record in their collective fund raising efforts, contributing millions of dollars to
schools, non-profit organizations and food banks each year.
Hunger Free America, a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), wants to make ending childhood hunger a
national priority, focusing on school meal programs within the public school system, and raising necessary funds to feed
at-risk families. Hunger Free America is co-founded by Jeff Bridges and the End Hunger Network, Center on Hunger and Poverty
and EIF. Unilever Bestfoods is a founding sponsor of Hunger Free America.
Unilever is one of the world's largest consumer products companies. Unilever Best Foods, the Hunger Free America Founding
Sponsor, known for such brands as Ragu, Wish-Bone, Bestfoods and Lipton, has committed $3 million in support of Hunger Free
America.
| Tuesday, December 18 |
Los Angeles County
|
After press conference, truck travels to:
Los Angeles Regional Food Bank
1734 41st Street, Los Angeles
Contact: Michael Flood 323/234-3030
|
Orange County
|
Truck arrives by 2:00 P.M. at:
Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County
426A West Almond, Orange
Contact: Marcella Barba 714/771-1343
|
| Wednesday. December 19 |
Kern County
|
Truck arrives by 10:00 A.M. at:
Bakersfield Rescue Mission
212 21st Street, Bakersfield
Contact: Larry Kensel 661/325-0863
Truck arrives by 2:00 P.M. at:
Fresno Community Food Bank
210 N. Thorne Avenue, Fresno
Contact: Sue Fenske 559/237-3663
Vons Kern County Coordinator/Contact: Phil Burks,
Vons #2512 661/396-0161
|
Ventura County
|
Truck arrives by 10:00 A.M. at:
FoodShare Inc.
4156 N. South Bank Road, Oxnard
Contact: Susie Burmeister 805/983-7100 x43
|
Santa Barbara County
|
Truck arrives by 10:00 A.M. at:
Santa Barbara Food Bank
4554 Hollister Avenue, Santa Barbara
Contact: Nicole 805/967-5741 x107
|
San Diego County
|
Truck arrives by 10:00 A.M. at:
San Diego Food Bank
2285 Decatur Street, San Diego
Contact: Teresa Leader-Anderson 858/715-2642 x234
|
Las Vegas (Clovis County)
|
Truck arrives by 10:00 A.M. at:
Salvation Army Service Center
35 West Owens Avenue, Las Vegas, NV
Contact: Carol Sloan 702/649-8240 or
Maud Sullivan 702/870-4430 x13
|
Hunger Free America, a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), is co-founded by End Hunger
Network, Center on Hunger and Poverty and EIF. Unilever Bestfoods is the founding sponsor of Hunger Free America.
