COLUMBUS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Nationwide Foundation today announced that a recent gift of $1.4 million to Feeding America is funding the organization’s fresh produce initiative designed to provide people in need with fresh fruits and vegetables. This gift makes the Nationwide Foundation a leading supporter of the fresh produce initiative and provides grants to 21 food banks within Feeding America’s national food bank network. Support from the Nationwide Foundation is being used to help Feeding America achieve its goal of providing more than 1 billion pounds of fresh produce to families in need over the next three years.
“We are very pleased to have a longstanding partner like Nationwide working with us to help solve hunger across the country,” said Matt Knott, president of Feeding America. “Nationwide recognizes the importance of making fresh produce available to the millions of people struggling to put food on the table in homes across America.”
Feeding America is the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief organization. This year marks the seventh year of the Nationwide Foundation’s partnership with Feeding America.
Ensuring that fresh produce is accessible to families throughout the nation is an essential component of Feeding America’s goal to provide more meals to families in need. By investing in local sourcing and distribution strategies, Nationwide’s support helps ensure safe and efficient produce delivery to food banks across the country.
Nationwide and the Nationwide Foundation have a longtime commitment to ending hunger that goes far beyond the foundation’s financial contributions. For decades, Nationwide and the Nationwide Foundation, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, have been strong supporters of Feeding America member Mid-Ohio Foodbank (MOFB) providing financial and volunteer support. Nationwide associates have donated thousands of volunteer hours to MOFB over the past 30 years.
“As a company, we are committed to addressing the most critical needs in the communities where we live and work. Often those needs are the most basic ones, like ensuring that everyone in the community has enough food to live a healthy, productive life,” said Chad Jester, president of the Nationwide Foundation. “We are a company that has a long history of deep relationships with farmers across the country—it’s why our company was founded. We understand the importance of providing access to fresh, healthy food options. That’s why we are proud to partner with Feeding America as they lead the nation’s efforts to solve hunger and work together on such an important initiative like the fresh produce initiative.”
The following Feeding America network members are receiving grants from the Nationwide Foundation:
Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, Canton, OH
Atlanta Community Food
Bank, Atlanta, GA
Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, Verona, VA
Bread
of the Mighty Food Bank, Inc., Gainesville, FL
Central Pennsylvania
Food Bank, Harrisburg, PA
FeedMore, Inc., Richmond, VA
Food
Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, Raleigh, NC
Food Bank
of Iowa, Des Moines, IA
Food Bank of Lincoln, Inc., Lincoln, NE
Food
Bank of the Rockies, Denver, CO
Greater Cleveland Food Bank,
Cleveland, OH
Mid-Ohio Foodbank, Grove City, OH
Mid-South Food
Bank, Memphis, TN
New Hampshire Food Bank, Manchester, NH
North
Texas Food Bank, Dallas, TX
Philabundance, Philadelphia, PA
San
Antonio Food Bank, San Antonio, TX
Second Harvest Food Bank of
Orange County, Irvine, CA
Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle
Tennessee, Nashville, TN
St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance, Phoenix, AZ
The
Maryland Food Bank, Baltimore, MD
To learn more about Feeding America, visit http://www.feedingamerica.org/.
About Feeding America
Feeding America is the nationwide network of 200 food banks that leads the fight against hunger in the United States. Together, we provide food to more than 46 million people through 60,000 food pantries and meal programs in communities across America. Feeding America also supports programs that improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate. Together we can solve hunger. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
About the Nationwide Foundation
The Nationwide Foundation is an independent corporation funded by contributions from Nationwide companies. Founded in 1959, the Nationwide Foundation has committed more than $345 million since 2000 to help nonprofit organizations in communities where Nationwide associates and their families live and work. Just as Nationwide supports its customers in their moment of need, the company’s involvement in its home communities is focused on supporting organizations that help people facing critical or immediate need.
About Nationwide
Nationwide, a Fortune 100 company based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the U.S. and is rated A+ by both A.M. Best and Standard & Poor’s. The company provides a full range of insurance and financial services, including auto, commercial, homeowners, farm and life insurance; public and private sector retirement plans, annuities and mutual funds; banking and mortgages; pet, motorcycle and boat insurance. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com.
Nationwide, Nationwide Financial, On Your Side, and the Nationwide N and Eagle are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.
