Latest Redwood Empire Food Bank Stories

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Nov. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- A quarter-million-dollar donation by Sutter Health to 29 food banks throughout Northern California will help put more than 1 million meals on family tables this holiday season. On average, every dollar donated translates to 4.5 meals provided by Sutter's community partners. The Sutter Health network of care has donated $762,500 over the past three years to food banks in local communities. The donations are provided on behalf of the health...

Food Banks Report Increase in Frequency of Use CHICAGO, Sept. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new study, Food Banks: Hunger's New Staple, released today by Feeding America finds that many Americans chronically depend on food pantries and other charitable food services to feed themselves and their families. The study provides an inaugural in-depth look at the frequency and duration in which low-income families seek food assistance from food banks and the agencies they serve. Food...

Coalition Urges House of Representatives to Reject Cuts to Nutrition Programs CHICAGO, June 1, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On May 31, The House Committee on Appropriations approved dramatic cuts to several federal nutrition programs that would eliminate nutrition assistance for hundreds of thousands of low-income seniors, women, infants, and children and cut support for charitable food assistance by over 20 percent. "The proposed cuts are staggering," said Vicki Escarra, President and...

ConAgra Foods Foundation and country music singer and song writer Josh Kelley help alleviate hunger for children during the summer months CHICAGO, May 16, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- When school is out for summer vacation, millions of children across the country lose access to the free and reduced-price meals they receive during the school year. The Summer Food Service Program, run by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), aims to fill that gap, providing children with...

HOUSTON, Aug. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- For many kids, back to school means new school supplies, new clothes and new teachers. But for millions of children, going back to school means the comfort of knowing they will once again have regular meals provided five days a week. (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100817/CG51824) (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100817/CG51824) During the school year, 19.5 million children receive free and reduced-price meals at school. But...

ORLANDO, Fla., July 7 /PRNewswire/ -- For many kids, the end of the school year is a time to celebrate, plan summer vacations, and play with friends. But for millions of children, the time away from school means not knowing where their next meal will come from. With the goal of helping ensure more children have enough to eat all year long, ConAgra Foods has partnered with Feeding America to create the Hunger-Free Summer initiative. (Photo:...

PITTSBURGH, June 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Agriculture Secretary Russell C. Redding today joined the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank to recognize Hunger Awareness Day and urge the public to make donations to hard-pressed food banks across the state. Redding said June is considered a "hunger gap" month because students lose access to school-provided breakfast and lunch meals and the summer and fall harvest is not yet underway. "More than 1.4 million Pennsylvanians are at-risk for...

NORTHFIELD, Ill., April 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- For many families facing financial troubles and struggling to put dinner on the table, help is hard to find. In this country, we're hearing more each day about the growing problem of "food deserts" - rural and urban communities where residents might not have access to a grocery store, emergency food assistance, or food of good nutritional balance. The Kraft Foods Foundation and Feeding America, the nation's leading hunger-relief...

As the recession grows, thousands across America are feeling the effects during the holiday season.The working poor, both young and old, were among those lining up at the Shawnee Community Center in Kansas City, Missouri, quietly collecting handouts of pasta, canned vegetables, peanut butter and other staples to stave off hunger.Shawnee Community Center volunteer Verta Morris said they are seeing more people this Christmas than last Christmas and many of them are hungry.Long lines are...

SAN ANTONIO, Nov. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Kraft Foods Inc. and Feeding America today announced expanded efforts to reach hungry families in America during these challenging economic times. To provide more Americans with better access to more nutritious, balanced and delicious meals, the organizations' leaders unveiled a new national mobile pantry program that will deliver more than 50 million meals over the next three years. The San Antonio Food Bank is among the first seven markets...