Feeding America Makes Each Mile, Pound and Hour Count This Holiday Season

How the Largest Hunger-Relief Charity Helps Nearly Six Million People Every Week

CHICAGO, Dec. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the holidays approach and Americans consider their end-of-the-year giving, Feeding America highlights the tremendous size and scope of our efforts to provide food and groceries to low-income families throughout our nation.

Here's a snapshot of what Feeding America accomplishes every week throughout the year:

• We provide food to nearly 6 million people.
• Our network of more than 200 food banks distributes food and groceries to 61,000 food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters that help low-income Americans.
• The food pantries and soup kitchens we help stock distribute nearly 76 million pounds of food and groceries, which fills the equivalent of more than half a million shopping carts.
• We supply about 19 million pounds of fresh produce to people in need.
• We rescue 22 million pounds of food from grocery stores shelves—food that previously would have ended up in landfills.
• Our fleet of 2,449 trucks transports food more than 847,730 miles.  The circumference of the earth is 24,901 miles, which is the equivalent of our trucks circling the globe 34 times each week.
• Our volunteers contribute about 163,000 hours of work, saving our network nearly $1.2 million in labor costs.

Each dollar donated to Feeding America helps us provide nine meals to families in need.

About Feeding America
Feeding America is a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks that leads the fight against hunger in the United States. Together, we provide food to more than 37 million people through 61,000 food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters in communities across America. Feeding America also supports programs that improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate. Together we can solve hunger. Visit http://www.feedingamerica.org/. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FeedingAmerica or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FeedingAmerica.

Contact:
Ross Fraser
312.641.6422

SOURCE Feeding America