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Food 4 Less Central Valley Answers Hunger Call With Food Donation
(July 21, 2015) FRESNO AND MADERA COUNTIES, CA: In response to a local need for food, Food 4 Less Central Valley stores have teamed up with The Salvation Army and food pantries across the Valley in an effort to battle hunger and food insecurity in our communities.
Food 4 Less will donate $6,000 in food supplies among two Salvation Army food pantry programs: Selma ($3,000) and Madera ($3,000). Collectively, those two programs serve an average of 620 families per month. Across the Central Valley, 1 in 5 children face hunger on a daily basis.
“This donation from Food 4 Less is a blessing,” said Juanita Rosales for The Salvation Army in Selma. “Because of support from partners like Food 4 Less, Gongco Foods, and the Gong family, can continue serving hundreds of families each week.”
Funding for this effort was raised at a charity golf tournament hosted by Food 4 Less vendors on May 7, with 100% of proceeds benefiting communities around the Central Valley. In addition to Selma and Madera, non-Salvation Army food pantries in Merced, Atwater, Porterville, Visalia and Fresno benefited from the tournament, which has raised more than $600,000 since its inception in 1999.
“It’s heartwarming to see a grocer and partners working together to try and make a difference in the lives of people,” said Carrie Phillips of The Salvation Army in Madera. “We’re so thankful they’re willing to share such critical staples such as bread and fresh produce with these families who are struggling to keep food on the table.”
Food 4 Less Central Valley is locally owned and operated by Gongco Foods. The Gong family has deep roots in the Valley and generously give back to the communities they serve.
“We are proud to support the efforts of the many food pantries in the Central Valley,” said Tom Gong, President of Food 4 Less Central Valley. “Coming together is an important step in addressing food insecurity in the Valley and we are honored to join the local fight against hunger.”
For more information on The Salvation Army’s food assistance programs or how the public can help, call The Salvation Army Madera office at 559-681-1789, or the Selma Office at 559-891-0811.
About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in London in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for more than 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar The Salvation Army spends is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to salvationarmyusa.org.
About Food 4 Less Central Valley
Food 4 Less Central Valley opened the first franchise Food 4 Less store in Madera, CA in 1990 and is locally owned and operated by Gongco Foods which was founded in Visalia, CA. Gongco Foods started out in the grocery business with Fairway Market in downtown Visalia on Main Street and has served the local community for over 50 years. Today, Gongco Foods has grown and operates seven Food 4 Less stores in California’s Central Valley from Atwater to Porterville. Fairway Market was closed to open the Food 4 Less in Visalia. The company has deep roots in valley and gives back to the communities we serve. For more information, visit food4lesscentralvalley.com.