Gift from Sara Lee Foundation Results in Additional Deliveries of food to communities in Need

St. Louis Area Foodbank will use new 22-foot refrigerated truck for daily deliveries to communities in need throughout the bi-state region.

ST. LOUIS – SEPTEMBER 20, 2006 – Through a recent grant from the Sara Lee Foundation, the St. Louis Area Foodbank has purchased a new 22-foot refrigerated truck for use in the organization’s daily deliveries to food pantries and soup kitchens serving those in need throughout the bi-state region.

“With a service territory encompassing 14 counties in Missouri and 12 in Illinois, the Foodbank’s transportation team travels over 100,000 miles each year to pick up or deliver donated food, said Frank Finnegan, St. Louis Area Foodbank executive director.  “It’s imperative that we have reliable transportation and this gift from the Sara Lee Foundation will certainly help ensure that we do."

Hunger-relief organizations like the Foodbank and its network of 500+ community feeding programs face new challenges as the food industry continues to shift from shelf-stable product to more perishable goods like produce and ready-to-eat meals.  This new refrigerated truck made possible through the Sara Lee Foundation will make it easier for the Foodbank to distribute these donations for families in need.

The St. Louis Area Foodbank is a non-profit food distribution center for organizations that feed hungry people throughout 14 counties in Eastern Missouri and 12 counties in Southwestern Illinois.  Each year, the Foodbank gathers nearly 12 million pounds of food and distributes it through a network of 500+ partner agencies.  For more, please visit www.stlfoodbank.org.

Founded in 1981, the Sara Lee Foundation was created to formalize Sara Lee Corporation’s dedication to the communities where its employees live and work. Since then, the Foundation has set a new standard for corporate giving, touching millions of lives, helping those in need, and fostering artistic expression. The foundation works to enrich the lives of so MANY people and in return has been enriched by the rewarding experiences that being a responsible corporate citizen brings.  For more information, please visit www.saraleefoundation.org.

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