For Immediate Release: June 15, 2009 Contact: Eddie Owens, United Supermarkets, 806.788.4863 or 806.928.0462
Jody Houston, Food Bank of West Central Texas, 325.695.6311
United Supermarkets, Abilene Food Bank
Join Forces for “Fresh Recovery” Program
ABILENE - United Supermarkets and the Food Bank of West Central Texas (FBWCT) announced today the establishment of a “Fresh Recovery” store pick-up program which will provide needy families access to fresh food from United’s four Abilene locations.
Through the program United will donate fresh meat, produce, deli items and dairy products that are still usable but are approaching the “sell by” date. Donated products are pulled from stores’ shelves and stored at the proper temperature. Each day, FBWCT refrigeration trucks will pick up the donated items from the Abilene stores and return it to the food bank. The food will then be distributed to FBWCT agencies within 24 hours.
United launched a similar program in Lubbock and Amarillo earlier this year.
“This is a wonderful program that will allow us to provide more and more people with fresh food,” said Jody Houston, the food bank’s executive director. “The food donations will help fill in the gaps of hunger with nutritious, tasty options for those in need.”
Food bank trucks will begin picking up donated food from all four United locations immediately. Stores are located at 1095 Judge Ely Blvd., 4209 Buffalo Gap, 920 N. Willis, and 3301 S. 14th.
Donated products include fluid milk products, eggs, chilled prepared salads and deli-prepared chilled wrapped sandwiches, raw beef and lunch meat, prepackaged bags of fresh leafy greens, bananas, and prepackaged fruits and vegetables.
Food Bank of West Central Texas currently provides more than 32,000 meals per week to families in need. “This fresh food will be a wonderful sight to all recipients as fresh food is hard and expensive to access - especially for families struggling to make ends meet,” Houston said.
Everyone who will be receiving the food can rest assured that the food is safe for consumption.
“We want to make sure that everyone is safe when consuming food,” Houston said. “United Supermarkets and the Food Bank of West Central Texas will be following very detailed guidelines for picking up the food and food safety once it reaches the food bank.”
“These local efforts are in concert with the program developed recently by Feeding America and the Conference for Food Protection that allows for foods requiring refrigeration to be safely distributed to charity using refrigerated vehicles,” explained Cheryn Hargrave, food safety specialist for United Supermarkets, LLC.
“Words cannot express how grateful we are to United Supermarkets for helping each and every person in need in west central Texas through this program,” Houston said. “United has shown time and time again its desire to make our communities better places to live.”