VERONA, VA, 2016-Oct-08 — /EPR Retail News/ — On Thursday, Oct. 6 at 10 a.m., a Wegmans tractor-trailer will arrive at the Thomas Jefferson Area Branch of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank carrying 20 pallets of non-perishable food. The donation will take place one month before a new Wegmans store opens in Charlottesville on Sunday, Nov. 6.
Store Manager Chris DePumpo and a team of Wegmans employees will be on hand to unload the truck. The donation includes canned soups, canned vegetables and fruit, peanut butter, canned tuna, cereal, juice and other products.
“Food for the hungry is one of our most important giving priorities and it’s a privilege for us to make our first delivery to Blue Ridge Area Food Bank,” said DePumpo. “We’re proud to help make a difference in the community as a new neighbor in Charlottesville.”
The Food Bank distributes 3.8 million pounds of food through 60 partner agencies — pantries, soup kitchens shelters and other nonprofits in the Thomas Jefferson region. More than 25,600 people in the area are served each month.
“We welcome the addition of Wegmans in our community,” said Michael McKee, CEO of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. “Through this donation and more to follow in the months ahead, Wegmans in Charlottesville will help thousands of families and individuals put food on their tables.”
In 2015, the Food Bank and its partner agencies received a total of 8.6 million pounds of food from grocery stores that might have gone to waste.
Last year, Wegmans donated 14.5 million pounds of food to area food banks across all of its market areas. For more information on Wegmans in Charlottesville, please visit wegmans.com/charlottesville.
For interviews and to cover the donation, please contact a member of the communications team.
About Wegmans
Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is a 91-store supermarket chain with stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, and Massachusetts. The family-owned company, recognized as an industry leader and innovator, is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2016. Wegmans has been named one of the ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’ by FORTUNE magazine for 19 consecutive years, ranking #4 in 2016.
About the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank
Founded in 1981, the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank is the largest organization alleviating hunger in western and central Virginia. Headquartered in Verona, VA, the Food Bank serves 25 counties and eight cities through distribution centers in Charlottesville, Lynchburg, Winchester and Verona. The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank distributes nearly 24.6 million pounds of food annually to 114,400 people each month through a network of 215 community partners – food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, schools, churches and other non-profit groups. The Food Bank is a member of Feeding America, a national food bank association that supports 200 food banks across the United States.Today, we celebrate thirty-five years of nourishing lives. For more information, visit www.brafb.org.
Contact Information:
Valerie Fox
Wegmans media relations coordinator
585-720-5713
valerie.fox@wegmans.com
Abena Foreman-Trice
Blue Ridge Area Food Bank communications director
540-213-8405
aforemantrice@brafb.org
Source: Wegmans Food Markets, Inc.