Kroger Donated More Than 100,000 Pounds of Fresh Food to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC in 2014

Grocer's Contributions Provided Thousands of Meals for Hungry North Carolinians.

Raleigh, NC, April 10, 2015 --(PR.com)-- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), the nation’s largest traditional grocery retailer with 14 stores throughout the Triangle and North Carolina, announced that it donated 137,798 pounds of fresh meat, produce, dairy and bakery items to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina in 2014 through its groundbreaking Perishable Donations Partnership (PDP).

Hunger relief is Kroger’s top priority in the communities it serves. Collectively, the 120 stores in Kroger’s Mid-Atlantic division, which spans six states including North Carolina, contributed a total of 700 tons of perishable food to food banks last year.

According to Feeding America, an estimated 70 billion pounds of food goes to waste each year. Through its Perishable Donations Partnership, Kroger aims to help divert food that would otherwise go to waste to help feed the nearly 49 million people in the U.S. that feel the effects of food insecurity.

Perishable Donations Partnership

Kroger’s Fred Meyer division pioneered the Perishable Donations Partnership nearly ten years ago. Stores partnered with local food banks in the Pacific Northwest to collect fresh food and properly store it so it could be quickly shipped to reach hungry families. Kroger adopted Fred Meyer’s model and worked with Feeding America to develop food safety and quality control standards, and trained associates to facilitate the program in their stores.

Scaled across Kroger’s family of stores beginning in 2008, Kroger’s Perishable Donations Partnership program depends on store associates taking the time every day to identify meat, produce, dairy and bakery items that can no longer be sold yet remain safe, fresh and nutritious complements to dry goods donations to food banks.

As a founding partner of Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger agency, Kroger has been engaged in the hunger relief effort for more than 30 years. Today, the Kroger family of stores has longstanding relationships with more than 100 local food banks nationwide. The company’s total contribution to food banks exceeds 200 million meals annually – or four million meals every week – when combining perishable foods, dry goods and funds.

For more on Kroger’s year-round effort to alleviate hunger, please visit www.BringingHopeToTheTable.com.

Quotes:
“We truly value our relationship with Kroger,” said Carter Crain, Food Resources Manager with the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. “The increase in perishable donations means more quality food reaches the tables of those who may otherwise go without in our community.”

“We’re in the grocery business and along with that is a responsibility to fight hunger in our communities,” said Anne Jenkins, spokesperson for Kroger Mid-Atlantic. “It’s something we take very seriously, so it’s a big point of pride for Kroger when our perishable food donations significantly increase year over year.”

About Kroger:
Kroger, the nation’s largest traditional grocery retailer, has 14 stores throughout the Triangle, including Apex (1), Cary (1), Garner (1), Fuquay-Varina (1), Raleigh (4) and Durham (6). Headquartered in Cincinnati, the company employs nearly 400,000 associates who serve customers in 2,625 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 34 states and the District of Columbia under two dozen local banner names including Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry's, Harris Teeter, Jay C, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs and Smith's. The company also operates 782 convenience stores, 326 fine jewelry stores, 1,330 supermarket fuel centers and 37 food processing plants in the U.S. Recognized by Forbes as the most generous company in America, Kroger supports hunger relief, breast cancer awareness, the military and their families, and more than 30,000 schools and community organizations. Kroger contributes food and funds equal to 200 million meals a year through more than 100 Feeding America food bank partners. A leader in supplier diversity, Kroger is a proud member of the Billion Dollar Roundtable and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber's Million Dollar Club. For more information, please visit http://www.kroger.com.
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