PODS® of Houston to help collect food to benefit Houston Food Bank

HOUSTON - Dec. 7, 2015 - PRLog -- Over 18 southeast Texas counties are served by the Houston Food Bank. In the last year, the Houston Food Bank has distributed 74,000,000 meals to individuals struggling with hunger. In order to make an even bigger difference within the community, PODSof Houston, a moving and storage company, has teamed up with the Houston Food Bank and grocery retailer Kroger to help sponsor a food drive at three locations in the Houston area this holiday season.

From Nov. 28-Dec. 12, a PODScontainer will be placed outside three Kroger locations, encouraging community members to donate essential nonperishable items such as peanut butter, canned tuna and canned goods. Donors will also be able to purchase a pre-packed bag of nutritious food inside the grocery store for roughly $5-9 to donate to the food bank.

"The Houston Food Bank is grateful for the partnership and logistical help of PODS," said Francis Rios, community engagement coordinator for the Houston Food Bank. "We could not fulfill our mission of leading the fight against hunger without the generosity of the community and the compassion of friends like PODS. Their efforts show how people can come together to make a big impact in the community."

Food donations will be stored in a safe and secure PODS container for the duration of the drive. PODS will then transport and deliver the non-perishable food donations to the Houston Food Bank.

“PODS is grateful to provide our logistical services to benefit the hungry families of Houston,” said Tim Preston, vice president and general manager of PODS of Houston. “For the Houston community to come together and help those who are hungry during the holidays is a testament to why Houston is such a giving place.”

“Contrary to popular belief, hunger doesn’t only afflict homeless individuals but also working moms and dads, and grandparents, who struggle to consistently put food on the table,” said Joy Partain, public affairs manager for Kroger. “We’re excited to host a food drive that will bring in needed donations to help feed local families.”

Media Opportunity:

Who/What: Houston Food Bank, Kroger and PODScollect food donations for families this holiday season

When/Where:

Kroger: Saturday, Dec. 12 from 12 -2 p.m.: 12620 Woodforest Blvd., Woodforest Square, Houston, TX 77015

ABOUT PODS OF HOUSTON

PODS of Houston is one of the largest independently-owned franchises of PODS Enterprises, LLC in the country and is the leading provider of moving and storage services to residents and businesses throughout the greater Houston area. PODS of Houston is locally owned and operated and began serving Houston-area residents in 2003.

Each year, PODS of Houston donates moving and storage solutions for more than 20 Houston-area charities in support of their contributions to the community. The Salvation Army, Houston Arts Alliance, the YMCA and Toys for Tots are among the many organizations PODS of Houston partners with annually.

PODS is a leader in the moving and storage industry providing both residential and commercial services in 46 U.S. states, Canada, Australia and the UK. Founded in 1998, PODS pioneered the portable moving and storage industry now preferred by many customers’ increasingly active and mobile lifestyles. To date, the PODS network has completed more than 600,000 long-distance moves, exceeded 3 million deliveries and has more than 160,000 PODS containers in service.

About the Houston Food Bank

Now operating from a new, 308,000 square-foot facility, the Houston Food Bank is the nation’s largest size Feeding America food bank and source of food for hunger relief charities in 18 southeast Texas counties. They have been named one of 10 Top-Notch Charities across the nation by Charity Navigator. A network of 500 food pantries, soup kitchens, senior centers and other agencies, feeding a total of 137,000 people each week, provides 50 million nutritious meals annually. Fresh produce, meat and nonperishables are distributed from the new warehouse at 535 Portwall, and hot meals are prepared and distributed from Keegan Center, a 15,000 square-foot industrial kitchen. Additional community services range from nutrition education to assistance with food stamp applications and hands-on job training. Red Barrels offer a convenient way for grocery shoppers to donate nonperishables for their neighbors in need.

The Houston Food Bank, founded in 1982, is a certified member of Feeding America, the nation’s food bank network. The organization plans to grow to an annual distribution of 100 million nutritious meals by 2018. Visit HoustonFoodBank.org for more information. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/theHoustonFoodBank (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Houston-Food-Bank-Official...) or follow our news on Twitter at twitter.com/HoustonFoodBank (http://twitter.com/#!/HoustonFoodBank).

About Kroger

The Kroger Southwest Division operates 216 stores, 208 pharmacies and 134 fuel centers in Texas and Louisiana and is part of one of the nation’s largest retail grocery chains serving customers in 34 states and the District of Columbia. For more than 125 years, Kroger has emphasized a customer-first approach to providing quality products, value pricing, outstanding service and an exceptional shopping experience. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, the supermarket retailer is dedicated to making a difference in the communities it serves by supporting hunger relief, education, health and wellness, military families and diversity programs. Resulting from the retailer’s philanthropic commitment, Forbes magazine lists Kroger as the most generous company in America. For more information about Kroger, download the free Kroger Mobile App or connect on kroger.com (http://www.kroger.com/), Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/Kroger), Twitter (http://twitter.com/Kroger) or Instagram (https://instagram.com/krogerco/?hl=en).