WOODLAND, CA. (MARCH 28, 2024) – Raley’s and FirstFruits Farms made a generous donation of 22,660 pounds of fresh apples to Yolo Food Bank. This donation was made possible by customers who purchased select apples at Raley’s throughout January and February.
A portion of the apples were distributed on Wednesday, March 27 to the parents dropping their kids off at Riverbank Elementary School in the Bryte and Broderick community in West Sacramento. FirstFruits Farms’ Take a Bite Out of Hunger™ program works with retailers across the nation to feature FirstFruits apples for consumers to purchase and in turn, a percentage of the sales gets donated back in product to their communities – during a time when food prices have continued to rise since 2020. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the cost of farm-level fruits is expected to increase by 4% in 2024, making fresh produce more critical for families in need.
“Raley’s is proud to partner with FirstFruits Farms to provide fresh and delicious apples to individuals throughout Yolo County,” said Chelsea Carbahal, Vice President of Community Impact & Public Affairs, The Raley’s Companies. “This donation will directly impact families, providing them with delicious apples that are both healthy and satisfying.”
FirstFruits Marketing created The Take a Bite out of Hunger™ campaign to help feed the underserved while bringing attention to the problem of food insecurity in the United States. Over 2.8 million pounds of fresh apples have been donated to local food banks in the communities of retailers like Raley’s since the program’s inception in 2010.
“One in seven Americans rely on food pantries and meal service programs to feed themselves and their families. Of that, more than half experience undernourishment from not having access to fresh fruits and vegetables. FirstFruits is proud to partner with retailers like Raley’s to help their communities get one step closer to ending hunger,” said Aimee Peters, Business Development Manager, FirstFruits.
More and more families are turning to food banks to supplement their monthly essential needs. The California Association of Food Banks report over 3 million households in California face food insecurity.
“Thanks to the generosity of Raley’s and FirstFruits Farms, students and families from Riverbank Elementary School will be receiving these delicious apples during a time when grocery runs have become more expensive,” said Karen Baker, Executive Director, Yolo Food Bank. “The donation is so great that Yolo Food Bank will also be adding this healthy produce to our Public Community Food Distributions that occur each month throughout Yolo County.”
Yolo Food Bank will be partnering with United Way to launch a “Community Schools” onsite food pantry and a Student Farmers Market program at Riverbank Elementary School in the months to come, demonstrating the high demand for food resources that exists in this community.
To learn more about Yolo Food Bank please visit: https://yolofoodbank.org/
