ROSEVILLE, CA  ­–  Placer Food Bank is proud to announce that Walmart has recently extended its longtime partnership with our organization in the form of a generous grant award of $30,000. This grant support one of our most vital programs in the fight against hunger throughout communities in Placer, El Dorado and Nevada counties.

“We are extremely grateful to have Walmart continue to support our organization in such a generous way. It is partnerships like this that allow us to continue our fight against hunger in our region,†said Dave Martinez, Executive Director of Placer Food Bank. “Due to Walmart’s generosity, our Feed our Future and Mobile Pantry program can continue to grow and support food insecure youth and their families.â€

The recent grant award from Walmart will support Placer Food Bank’s Feed Our Future Program, that incorporates the Mobile Pantry and Backpack program.  Nearly 18,000 children in Placer County alone suffer from food insecurity, meaning, they are uncertain exactly where their next meal will come from. To simplify this fact, that means that 1 in every 5 children in our area are all too often hungry and malnourished. This takes a toll on their health, development and threatens their future in profound ways at a crucial period of their lives.

Five years ago, the Placer Food Bank launched its local back pack program, known today at the Feed our Future program, which provides thousands children with the essentials to provide healthy snacks and meals over the weekend when school lunches are not provided, which is often the one solid daily meal a food insecure child can count on during the week.

With a combined effort of Placer Food Bank’s Feed our Future and Mobile Food Pantry programs, efforts are underway to not only provide children with the essentials to overcome hunger, but to also assist family members at home by joining forces with our area schools, districts, suppliers and funding partners to create a network that will ultimately contribute to closing the meal gap in our communities. By assisting our area school children through our Feed our Future Program and the hosting of Mobile Food Pantry events throughout the year at targeted school and community locations.

During the mobile food pantry distributions, families in need will be furnished with 15-20 pounds of healthy food items to assist them with providing balanced meals for their families. Additionally, Placer Food Bank will provide CalFresh (SNAP) outreach during these events to assist families with acquiring additional assistance.

“Our Feed Our Future and Mobile Pantry program is proving to be very successful in our fight against hunger each and every day,†added Martinez. “We couldn’t do this without the strong support of Walmart and our additional funders. We can’t thank them enough for continuing to support us so generously for the school year to come.â€

About Placer Food Bank

Placer Food Bank is the leader hunger relief charity in Placer, El Dorado and Nevada counties.  The organization serves as the primary food collection and distribution center for hunger relief efforts in the area distributing fresh and non-perishable food to the hungry through a network of local charitable organizations located within the three nearby counties. Placer Food Bank is the only local hunger relief organization, and just one of 210 food banks nationwide, to be a certified member of Feeding American, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity. Placer Food Bank is also a proud member of the California Association of Food Banks.

While Placer Food Bank has distribution sites in numerous areas, the organization is headquartered at 8284 Industrial Avenue in Roseville, 95678 and can be reached at (916) 783-0481 or online at www.placerfoodbank.org where you can learn more about hunger statistics in our area through their various resources and those provided through Feeding America.