Panera Bread Donates $78K To Island Harvest Food Bank

LONG ISLAND, NY — Panera Bread's Long Island stores on Monday presented Island Harvest Food Bank with a check for $78,200, Doherty, which owns Panera, announced.

The funds are meant to help the food bank fight hunger and reduce food waste on Long Island. The event took place at Panera Bread’s Long Island City cafe.

“Food insecurity is everywhere, even here on Long Island,” said Greg George, Doherty Enterprise’s Panera Bread vice president of operations. “And it’s being exacerbated by inflation and rising gas prices. That’s why we continue to support Island Harvest Food Bank and their many initiatives to deliver Long Island families from hunger.”

There are an estimated half-million families suffering from food insecurity on Long Island, with that number expected to rise as the cost of food spirals upwards, according to Doherty.

Island Harvest alone serves approximately 300,000 Long Islanders through efficient food collection and distribution; enhanced hunger-awareness and nutrition-education programs; job training; and direct services targeted at children, senior citizens, veterans, and others at risk of
food insecurity.

“Our programs wouldn’t have the same impact without the help of generous partners such as Panera Bread,” said Randi Shubin Dresner, president & CEO of Island Harvest Food Bank. “Their in-kind donations of unsold bread every week keep food out of the landfill and put it onto the tables of grateful families. This additional cash donation will help keep our programs funded at a time when they are needed the most.”

Doherty-owned Panera Breads also host several food drives throughout the year so their customers can help fight food insecurity at the local level.