AUSTIN, Texas (Dec. 11, 2008) – Whole Foods Market (Nasdaq: WFMI) has donated nearly $1 million worth of food to Feeding America, the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization with a network of more than 200 member food banks and food-rescue organizations serving all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, to provide meals for families in need this holiday season.

“We thought providing help through a food donation that touched our local communities could help make a difference at a time when overall food bank donations are down,” said Perry Abbenante, Whole Foods Market Global Grocery Coordinator. “Through Whole Foods Market’s donation to Feeding America, we have been able to support our local communities through area food banks as well as reach out to those affected by recent natural disasters like Hurricanes Gustav, Ike and Katrina.”

Whole Foods Market is donating close to 200,000 pounds of food to Feeding America, formerly called America’s Second Harvest, to be distributed to the poorest communities via food banks near the Company’s distribution centers, ultimately providing more than 150,000 meals to Americans in need.

“We really appreciate the contribution of such healthy, nutritious, quality food. Through generous donations like this we are able to distribute more than two billion pounds of food each year to more than 25 million hungry Americans,” said Vicki Escarra, Feeding America CEO. “With the help of our donors and our 200 member food banks, we now support nearly 63,000 local charitable agencies and operate more than 70,000 soup kitchens, after-school programs, food pantries and emergency shelters.”

Food donation distributions have just begun and will continue through the holidays, staggered based on need. Foods such all-natural frozen dishes made of quality ingredients such as seafood, eggs, grains, and vegetables are among donated items.

To make individual contributions to Feeding America, please visit the non-profit’s Web site at: https://feedingamerica.org/take-action/donate.aspx

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About Feeding America

 

Feeding America (formerly named America's Second Harvest) feeds America's hungry through a nationwide network of Member food banks and engages our country in the fight to end hunger. It is the nation's largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization, with a network of more than 200 Member food banks and food-rescue organizations serving all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The organization supports approximately 50,000 local charitable agencies operating more than 90,000 programs including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after-school programs, and Kids Cafes. In 2006, the Network provided emergency food assistance to more than 25 million low-income hungry people in the United States, over 9 million of which were children.

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