Panera Donates $12,500 to Food Bank for Westchester

Aug. 30, 2010 - PRLog -- Millwood, NY — On behalf of Take Home the Bread, a Panera Bread franchisee, $12,500 was recently donated to Food Bank for Westchester. The $12,500 donation commemorated the grand opening of the Bedford Hills Panera Bread. The funds will support the Food Bank’s core program, Emergency Food Distribution.  

“We are able to purchase food for a cost significantly below wholesale prices, so Panera’s generous donation will enable us to acquire $50,000 worth of food for distribution to hungry Westchester residents,” said Christina Rohatynskyj, Executive Director of the Food Bank for Westchester. “We are grateful to Panera for helping to fight hunger in Westchester.”

Last year, there was a 15 percent increase in requests for food, and FBW’s distribution increased by one million pounds over the prior year.

“Panera is deeply committed to helping the needs of our communities, and we look forward to an ongoing partnership with Food Bank for Westchester,” said Tony Diaz, Operations Partner of Take Home The Bread, LLC, Franchisee.

Food Bank for Westchester is located at 358 Saw Mill River Road, Millwood, NY 10546. For more information, visit www.foodbankforwestchester.org.

About the Food Bank for Westchester: The Food Bank for Westchester, one of eight food banks in New York State, acquires, warehouses and distributes more than six million pounds of food annually to 200 Westchester County hunger relief organizations, including food pantries and soup kitchens, among others. Its mission is to lead, engage and educate Westchester County in creating a hunger-free environment. Its core activity is the collection and distribution of donated, government and purchased food.