Whole Foods Market to Provide Five-Percent of December 8th gross sales to benefit food banks

Dec. 3, 2009 - PRLog -- San Francisco, CA – Every day, thousands of Bay Area families are stretched beyond their financial means.  Oftentimes, they are forced to choose between paying the rent, covering medical expenses, paying for transportation or putting food on the table.  With 1 in 4 children and 1 in 5 adults at risk, hunger frequently strikes the most vulnerable people in our communities; seniors and children.

You can help fight hunger now. Join the San Francisco Food Bank, Whole Foods Market and CBS 5 as they help feed families in need this holiday season.  On Tuesday, December 8th, Whole Foods Market will hold a 5% day in support of the Food for Bay Area Families food drive.   Five-percent of the day's gross sales from Whole Foods Market stores in the greater Bay Area will be donated to food banks in the bay area which includes the San Francisco Food Bank.

The San Francisco Food Bank will distribute 36.5 million pounds of food to the community this year – enough for 78,000 meals every day.  The San Francisco Food Bank relies on support from food drives like Food for Bay Area Families to help meet the increasing demand of people in the community.  With requests for food up 20% over this time last year and an unemployment rate that has just topped 10%, the San Francisco Food Bank is seeing an increasing need and is sending more food than ever to its 200 plus pantries throughout San Francisco and Marin.

“The Whole Foods Market 5% day is a great way for people in the community to give back to those in need,” said Paul Ash, Executive Director of the San Francisco Food Bank. “By stocking up on their groceries next Tuesday, they are able to reach the thousands of families that are forced to depend on the generosity of others to be able to have a holiday meal this season.”

Last year the Food for Bay Area Families food drive collected 292,000 pounds of food.  This year the goal is to collect 350,000 pounds of food and to raise $400,000.  You can do your part simply by shopping at Whole Foods Market on Tuesday, December 8th, by dropping off food at local grocery stores throughout the city in San Francisco Food Bank barrels or by making a donation online by visiting www.sffoodbank.org/donate

Find your nearest Whole Foods Market by visiting www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores

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About the San Francisco Food Bank

Hunger is a serious problem in San Francisco – with 1 in 4 children and 1 in 5 adults at risk of hunger. Every day, the San Francisco Food Bank sources, collects, sorts, inspects and repackages thousands of pounds of food, then distributes it to soup kitchens, neighborhood grocery centers, school programs and seniors in need.

The San Francisco Food Bank serves 22,000 households weekly throughout San Francisco and Marin counties, and will distribute 36.5 million pounds of food to the community this year – enough for 78,000 meals every day. Over half of what is distributed is fresh produce. For more information, visit www.SFFoodBank.org