CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hillshire Brands Foundation announced today that it made multi-year grant commitments of $100,000 a year for each of three years to the Greater Chicago Food Depository (GCFD) and the Northern Illinois Food Bank (NIFB).
“We believe that our corporate foundation is the perfect way to assist communities where The Hillshire Brands Company has operations,” said Jon Harris, president of Hillshire Brands Foundation. “The foundation is thrilled to announce that it has committed a total of $600,000 over the course of its multi-year commitments in order to help GCFD and NIFB feed our hungry neighbors.”
“We are deeply appreciative of the outstanding support of Hillshire Brands Foundation,” said Kate Maehr, Executive Director and CEO of the Greater Chicago Food Depository. “The foundation’s generosity is more critical now than ever before as record numbers of people are turning to the Food Depository and pantries, soup kitchens and shelters in Cook County—68 percent more people than five years ago. We will be able to provide nutritious food for men, women and children because of partners like Hillshire Brands Foundation.”
The foundation also made an additional $205,500 in grants to 10 other organizations, including three Feeding America-affiliated food banks and five nonprofits that operate programs to help improve children’s health by focusing on healthy weight and nutrition education. The programs provide combinations of fitness, health, and nutrition activities to help deepen the understanding and interconnectedness of healthy lifestyles for young people. A complete list of the organizations receiving grants can be found on the foundation’s website at www.hillshirebrandsfoundation.org.
The foundation accepts letters of inquiry year round via its website, www.hillshirebrandsfoundation.org, and reviews grants during two grant periods, one in the fall and one in the spring. Prospective grantees are invited to take the foundation’s eligibility quiz to see if a letter of inquiry should be submitted.
About Hillshire Brands Foundation
Hillshire Brands Foundation is the philanthropic arm of The Hillshire Brands Company and is operated as a separate entity with its own board of directors. Founded in 1981 (as the Sara Lee Foundation) to formalize the company’s dedication to community service, it remains committed to strengthening and improving communities where The Hillshire Brands Company has a presence. The foundation provides strategic support to nonprofit organizations focused on food-related programs with a special emphasis on hunger, healthy weight initiatives and nutrition education.
