SAN JOSE, CA – (November 2,2015) – NBC Bay Area is once
again teaming up with Safeway Stores for a one-day food drive on Saturday, November 21, a collaboration of seven food banks serving over 780,000
local residents each month. The “Help Us End Hunger” food drive will take place
at 156 Safeway locations throughout the Bay Area, making it easy for community
members to participate and help feed their neighbors in need.
“Despite the
recovering economy, thousands of Bay Area residents still rely on their local
food banks to put food on their tables each week. Our goal is to create
awareness and provide our viewers an easy way to help out,” said Rich Cerussi,
NBC Bay Area President and General Manager. “We thank
the community for all of their support to make this drive so successful year
after year.”
“We thank NBC Bay
Area and Safeway for bringing attention to the severity of local hunger and for
creating a simple way for anyone in our community to help a family in need,”
said Kathy Jackson, Second Harvest Food Bank CEO. “Bay Area Food Banks are
feeding people in every neighborhood and through this drive you can donate to
make a difference in the lives of people where you live.”
For the last six years,
NBC Bay Area has partnered with Safeway to help stock the shelves of local food
banks. In addition to providing on-air promotion, the station will be enlisting
hundreds of volunteers – including NBC Bay Area anchors and reporters helping
at their own neighborhood Safeway Stores – on Saturday, November 21 to
encourage shoppers to donate food items.
To make the donation
process easier, a specially produced shopping bag filled with items that food
banks need the most will be available for $10 at all local Safeway stores. Items
include pasta and sauce, canned vegetables, soup, and important protein items
like peanut butter and canned tuna. Once collected, the food will be delivered
to food banks for distribution to needy families. To purchase, shoppers can
remove a flyer from the tear pads located display area in each store and take
it up to the register. The bags are available for Safeway shoppers to purchase now
through December 1.
This year, NBC Bay
Area and Safeway are again inviting local chefs to participate in a recipe
challenge by creating dishes using some of the food items provided in the
donation bags. Recipe challenges will take place at various Safeway locations
and will be broadcast live on NBC Bay Area.
“Safeway is honored to partner with NBC Bay
Area and our local food banks on this community-wide effort,” said Tom
Schwilke, President of Safeway Northern California. “Proudly serving Northern
California since 1926, assisting people who need a helping hand during the
holidays and throughout the year is an important part of our giving programs.”
Last year, the food
drive collected more than 144,000 bags at Safeway Stores across the Bay Area, amounting
to over 1,600,000 pounds of food for those in need.
ABOUT NBC BAY AREA
Owned by NBC
Universal, NBC Bay Area/KNTV is the Bay Area’s investigative station located in
the heart of Silicon Valley. The station is committed to providing continuous,
in-depth news and journalism with unique personalities. Along with carrying
NBC’s award-winning daytime, prime-time and late night programming, NBC Bay
Area produces more than 32 hours of news programming each week, including
several weekly news franchises: The Interview with Raj Mathai, Class Action
with Jessica Aguirre and Reality Check with Sam Brock. COZI TV, the station’s multicast
network, offers a full schedule of America’s most beloved and iconic television
series and hit movies. COZI TV can be seen locally on Comcast 186, Verizon 460,
and over-the-air on 11.3.
About Safeway
Safeway
is one of the most well-recognized grocery retail brands in Northern California
with a long-standing reputation for quality and service. Safeway is a division
of Albertsons which is one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United
States, with both a strong local presence and national scale. Albertsons
operates stores across 33 states and the District of Columbia under 18
well-known banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s,
ACME, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market and
Carrs.
ABOUT BAY AREA FOOD
BANKS
Bay
Area Food Banks is a collaboration of seven local food banks serving northern
California counties. Collectively they serve 780,000 adults, seniors and
children each month through nearly 1,600 food pantries, children’s programs,
shelters, soup kitchens, residential programs, and other emergency food
providers. Learn more at www.bayareahunger.org.
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MEDIA
CONTACTS
NBC Bay
Area – Liza Catalan
Safeway- Wendy
Gutshall
Alameda County Community Food Bank –
Michael Altfest
(510) 636-3663, ext. 330. maltfest@accfb.org
