SAN JOSE, CA – (November 10, 2022) – NBC Bay Area / KNTV and Telemundo 48 Área de la Bahía / KSTS, and Safeway today announced the 13th Annual Nourishing Neighbors food drive, beginning Saturday, November 19. Nourishing Neighbors benefits Bay Area Food Banks – a collaboration of seven food banks serving 11 Northern California counties. The campaign will take place at 162 Safeway locations throughout the Bay Area through Sunday, December 25.
Even before COVID-19, Bay Area food banks were responding to a level of food insecurity in the region that indicated there was already a crisis. The economic crisis created by the pandemic has pushed many families deeper into poverty and caused others to seek food assistance for the very first time. Our local food banks are still seeing as much as an 80% increase over pre-pandemic levels.
Throughout the Nourishing Neighbors campaign, anyone can visit one of the participating Safeway stores to donate $10 that will go toward food items that will be donated to Bay Area Food Banks. At each store, shoppers can remove a flyer from the tear pads located at the registers and make a donation. Once collected, the food will be delivered to local food banks for distribution to families in need.
“The need to support our neighbors struggling with food insecurity is greater than ever,” said Stacy Owen, President and General Manager of NBC Bay Area and Telemundo 48. “NBC Bay Area and Telemundo 48 are committed to raising vital funds and providing much-needed food for our local food banks. We are grateful for our partnership with Safeway and the generosity of its shoppers. Together we can move the Bay Area forward by addressing inequities and providing food and comfort during the holiday season and throughout the year.”
We’re proud to be a part of this collaborative effort to help nourish our neighbors this holiday season through local food banks,” said Karl Schroeder, Division President of Safeway Northern California. “Together, with NBC Bay Area and Telemundo 48, we will help put food on the table for families in need across the Bay Area. We want to thank our customers and store associates, whose generous support helps makes this program possible.”
Last year, NBC Bay Area / KNTV, Telemundo 48 Área de la Bahía / KSTS, and Safeway collected over $4.3 million for its 2021 Nourishing Neighbors holiday food drive campaign. The donation was equivalent to over 8.6 million meals.
“The Bay Area has been hit by a confluence of challenges in recent years,” says Regi Young, executive director of Alameda County Community Food Bank. “Just as we started to sense some recovery from the pandemic, record inflation forced many more of us to make impossible decisions like paying for food, rent, gas, or medicine. Today, lines at our distributions are just as long as they were at the height of the pandemic. As we all prepare for a years-long recovery, partnerships like Nourishing Neighbors will continue to play a critical role in local food banks’ ability to keeping our shelves stocked. We’re greatly appreciative to Safeway, NBC Bay Area, and Telemundo 48 for their efforts – and to all who participate in this holiday season’s important drive.”
About NBC Bay Area / KNTV
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Owned by NBCUniversal, NBC Bay Area / KNTV is the Bay Area’s investigative station located in the heart of Silicon Valley. The station is committed to providing continuous, in-depth journalism with unique personalities. Along with broadcasting NBC’s award-winning daytime, prime-time and late night programming, NBC Bay Area produces more than 32 hours of news programming each week. The station can be seen locally on Comcast 3 and 703 and over-the-air on 11. COZI TV, the station’s digital network, offers a full schedule of America’s most beloved and iconic television series, hit movies and original programming. COZI TV can be seen locally on Comcast 186 and over-the-air on 11.3.
About Telemundo Telemundo 48 / KSTS
Telemundo 48 / KSTS is Telemundo’s local television station serving the Spanish-speaking community throughout the Bay Area. Owned by NBCUniversal, the station is committed to providing viewers with breaking news and in-depth journalism with their award-winning team of reporters, offering the most up-to-date local news, weather, sports and entertainment headlines through a variety of platforms, including online at TelemundoAreadelaBahia.com and via mobile and social media channels.
About Safeway
Safeway is one of the most well-recognized grocery retail brands with a long-standing reputation for quality and service, proudly serving Northern California since 1926. Today, the company operates over 285 stores across Northern California, Nevada, and Hawaii, under four banners, including Andronico’s, Safeway, Pak N’ Save, and Vons. Safeway Northern California is a division of Albertsons Companies.
About Bay Area Food Banks
Bay Area Food Banks is a collaboration of independent nonprofit food banks serving northern California counties. Before the COVID-19 outbreak, BAFB collectively served 840,000 adults, seniors and children each month through nearly 1,600 food pantries, children’s programs, shelters, soup kitchens, residential programs, and other emergency food providers. Learn more at www.bayareahunger.org.
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MEDIA CONTACTS
NBC Bay Area & Telemundo 48 – Jay dela Cruz & Liza Catalan
415-760-0476 jay.delacruz@nbcuni.com
408-234-9540 liza.catalan@nbcuni.com
Safeway – Wendy Gutshall
925-467-3523 wendy.gutshall@safeway.com
Second Harvest of Silicon Valley – Diane Hayward
408-921-4611 dbakerhayward@shfb.org
Redwood Empire Food Bank – Rachelle Mesheau
415-405-6072 rmesheau@refb.org
Napa Valley Food Bank – Shirley King
707-363-1471 sking@can-v.org
San Francisco/Marin Food Bank – Keely Hopkins
661-303-4334 khopkins@sfmfoodbank.org
Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano – Cassidie Bates
925-334-2766 cbates@foodbankccs.org
Alameda County Community Food Banks – Michael Altfest
510-635-8655 maltfest@accfb.org
