Publix Super Markets recently announced an exclusive partnership program with Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida to donate perishable foods – unsalable, yet wholesome and nutritious products – to the food bank to help fight hunger in Central Florida.
Each month, multiple truckloads of food will be donated to Second Harvest for distribution to more than 500 local pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, senior programs and low-income daycares. The donation will feed thousands of deserving families.
“We really respect Publix for their commitment to changing lives through this region,” said Dave Krepcho, President/CEO of Second Harvest. “For many years, supermarkets were reluctant to donate perishables because executives worried about lawsuits stemming from consumption of bad food—even if spoilage occurred after the products left the store. But the federal Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, which was signed into law in 1996, allayed many fears by shielding companies from liability as long as the food was donated in good faith.”
“Food safety is our top priority at Publix,” said Dwaine Stevens, Media & Community Relations Manager. “For this reason, we are not able to donate all foods requiring refrigeration. In many cases, the people obtaining food from charitable food banks are already in an at-risk population. We have established criteria for perishable donations to protect the food from improper food handling and contamination. Under our partnership agreement with Second Harvest, the food bank will use refrigerated vehicles for the pickup of donations from Publix.”
After announcing the ongoing food donation program, Publix also presented Second Harvest with a large check donation. This 2010 holiday season, Publix and their customers raised more than $96,000 through their Food For All campaign, which appeared in all Central Florida stores from November through December. Throughout the fundraiser, customers could make a $1, $3, or $5 contribution while paying for their groceries.
