The Food Bank for Westchester, which is celebrating its 20th year of fighting hunger in Westchester, will be the recipient of Peapod's Refer-a-Friend Charity Program. The initiative by Peapod, the leading online grocery service, will help shoppers save money on groceries while making a donation to the Food Bank for Westchester.
Millwood, NY (PRWEB) November 9, 2009 -- The Food Bank for Westchester, which is celebrating its 20th year of fighting hunger in Westchester, will be the recipient of Peapod's Refer-a-Friend Charity Program. The initiative by Peapod, the leading online grocery service, will help shoppers save money on groceries while making a donation to the Food Bank for Westchester.
Through Refer-a-Friend, customers can log onto Peapod.com to refer family and fri to the Peapod service and gift them with a $10 discount offer for their first grocery order. After the recipient places an order, Food Bank for Westchester will receive a $10 donation.
According to Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger relief charity, food banks across the nation report that the recession and the continuing rise in unemployment are having a profound effect on their ability to feed millions of Americans living at risk of hunger.
The increase is nearly universal - 99 percent of all participating food banks reported a significant surge in demand for emergency food assistance over the past year.
The Food Bank for Westchester reports that the increase is particularly driven by first-time users of the emergency food assistance system and more people who have recently lost their jobs or are underemployed. The high cost of health care, housing, and transportation in Westchester County continue to impact the ability of residents to pay for food.
"As a member of this community, it's important for us to help our local food banks during the difficult holiday season," said Peg Merzbacher, director of marketing for Peapod. "The Refer-a-Friend promotion has been a long-time favorite with our customers, so we are happy to extend its reach and add a charitable component that benefits everybody--current and new customers and those who rely on the Food Bank for Westchester."
"The holidays are a time when families come together. Unfortunately, some of those families are struggling to put food on their tables. We are grateful to Peapod for helping us provide nutritious meals to those who ware hungry during this special season," said Christina Rohatynskyj, Executive Director of the Food Bank for Westchester.
For more information about Peapod and the Refer-a-Friend program, visit www.peapod.com.
The Food Bank for Westchester, one of eight food banks in New York State, acquires, warehouses and distributes food to 200 Westchester County hunger relief organizations, including food pantries and soup kitchens, among others. These efforts feed some or all of the 200,000 people in Westchester who are hungry or at risk of hunger. The Food Bank mission is supported by an extensive donor and volunteer network.
For additional information, contact the Food Bank at 914-923-1100 or visit www.foodbankforwestchester.org. The Food Bank for Westchester is located at 358 Saw Mill River Road, Millwood, NY 10546.
About the Food Bank for Westchester: The Food Bank for Westchester's mission is to lead, engage and educate Westchester County in creating a hunger-free environment. It solicits and administers donations from both the public and private sector, distributing food through approximately 200 hunger relief member agencies. Its core activity is the collection and distribution of donated, government and purchased food. The Food Bank distributes more than five million pounds of food to member agencies annually.
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