Local San Diego-Area Grocery Outlets, Food Agencies and Community Members Team Up to Fight Hunger

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Local San Diego-Area Grocery Outlets, Food Agencies and Community Members Team Up to Fight Hunger

Grocery Outlet Announces Fourth Annual Independence from Hunger® Campaign

Emeryville, CA – (June 24, 2014) Grocery Outlet will launch their Fourth Annual Independence from Hunger® Food Drive on July 1, 2014. This annual giving campaign is an effort among Grocery Outlet stores, their customers and San Diego-area emergency food assistance agencies to fight poverty and hunger in San Diego and its surrounding communities.

For the fourth consecutive year, the USDA reported that 1 in every 6 Americans is food insecure and 46.5 million Americans (15%) were reported as living at or below the poverty level in 2012 (U.S. Census Bureau, Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the U.S. - Data collected in 2012 and released September, 2013.). Throughout July, traditionally a time when food agencies experience the greatest need, San Diego-area Grocery Outlets will encourage their customers and employees to donate food and cash in support of regional food assistance agencies.

Independence from Hunger® is a month-long, company-wide campaign where customers can donate food and/or cash to support local food assistance partners. San Diego-area Grocery Outlet stores are teaming up with a number of local agencies in their community and all donations received throughout the campaign will go directly to each store’s designated agency.

Customers can make a difference by visiting their local Grocery Outlet and participating in one of these easy steps:

 Look for specially-marked food items. These are items that each store’s designated food agency has identified as "high-need" items. Purchase these products and place in the collection bin at the front of the store.

 Pick up a pre-made bag that is filled with an assortment of groceries that have been identified as needed.

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 Tell your cashier that you'd like to make a cash donation at the register. Donations will go directly to each store’s food agency partner. Donate $1, $5 or round up your change.

 Pick up information at a San Diego-area Grocery Outlet store about hunger, food insecurity and local/national resources for people in need. Be informed and willing to help.

 Join the events at a San Diego-area store to support the Independence from Hunger® food drive.

In July of 2011, Grocery Outlet stores and their customers collectively donated more than $223,000 in cash, gift card and food donations to help support local food assistance agencies as part of the Independence from Hunger® food drive. In July of 2012, donations increased to over $292,000 —more than half a million dollars donated in just two years! In July of 2013, the total reached was $300,000 and in 2014 the goal is to raise enough to put the total campaign collection mark at over $1 million.

"The face of poverty has changed and hunger is a reality in every community throughout the country," said MacGregor Read, Co-CEO, Grocery Outlet Inc. "We are eager for the Fourth Annual Independence from Hunger® Campaign because it is a time for communities to rally together and help those in need. All of the donations collected at each San Diego-area store will directly impact people in that community."

Each San Diego-area Grocery Outlet store is independently owned and operated by families who are committed to giving back to the local community. Customers can help make a difference by visiting your local Grocery Outlet and participating in the Independence from Hunger® food drive. Find more information by visiting GroceryOutlet.com.