Stater Bros. Charities Gives $20K to Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County Food Bank

Representatives from Stater Bros. Charities came to the Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County (CAPSBC) Food Bank on Monday Aug. 24 to tour the facilities and watch a slide show highlighting the work of the food bank and its network of volunteers who support the important work of San Bernardino County's largest provider of emergency food assistance for the low income. At the end of the tour, Stater Bros. Charities generously presented a large check for $20,000 to the CAPSBC Food Bank. CAPSBC CEO Patricia L. Nickols-Butler stated, "The support of Stater Bros. Charities has without a doubt profoundly impacted hunger in our communities. We are very grateful for their on-going support. In addition to monetary support, Stater Bros. Markets provides over a million pounds of food annually helping us serve thousands of San Bernardino County residents in need of food assistance." CAPSBC Board Chairperson, Dr. Margaret Hill also added, "Together with partners like Stater Bros. and hundreds of others, we can make a difference in our communities." As part of their "Harvesting Hope in our Community" campaign, Stater Bros. held in-store fundraising during the months of November and December where customers gave cash donations at the time of check out. These funds were donated to local food banks for the summer months when food reserves are traditionally lower. "At Stater Bros., we don't just do business in the community, we are part of the community," stated Jack H. Brown, Chairman and CEO of Stater Bros. Markets. "The 'Harvesting Hope in the Summer Program' helps to give our local food banks and the valued communities they serve some extra help when it's needed most," Brown further added. The CAPSBC Food Bank Program's mission is "to combat hunger and malnutrition by distributing food to the needy and advocating for supportive policies and legislation that will eliminate hunger." In 2014, the Food bank provided over 9 million pounds of food to 385,746 households and gave food to help prepare one million meals at 32 soup kitchens throughout San Bernardino County. CAPSBC recognizes its responsibility to offer hunger relief programs and services which work towards improving the nutritional health of its clients. To that end, CAPSBC helped create the Food Policy Advisory Council (FPAC) serving San Bernardino County and developed a formal Healthy Food Banking Wellness Policy to guide its food collection and distribution efforts. CAPSBC's Food Bank currently partners with a food network of 177 non-profit and community agencies to distribute food to those in need. This network is supported by 2,500 volunteers who contributed 171,171 hours of service valued at $4.5 million last year. These partnerships and volunteers have been critical to achieving and sustaining the outcomes of the Food Bank program.