In commemoration of World Milk Day, the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) announced a partnership with Raley’s Food For Families program to deliver milk, one of the most requested but least donated items, to California food banks during June Dairy Month.
During a June 1 event at the Raley’s location on Freeport Blvd in Sacramento, Calif., the CMAB and representatives from Raley’s and the Yolo Food Bank outlined the matching funds initiative that will provide up to 13,000 gallons – more than 200,000 servings – of fluid milk to 12 food bank sites. Part of the Real California Milk CADAIRY4GOOD program and Raley’s well-known Food For Families charitable organization, the partnership is part of an ongoing commitment from both to providing resources to food banks and feeding programs to increase access to nutritious foods.
Throughout the month of June, California dairy families, through the CMAB, will match customer in-store and online Food For Families donations, dollar-for-dollar up to $20,000 to provide fresh milk to those suffering from food insecurity in northern California. Prompts with the “Do Good with Dairy” message will be shared through in-store signage and digital communications to alert consumers to the initiative.
The California milk donations will be distributed to 12 Food For Family partner food banks – Alameda County Community Food Bank, Central California Food Bank, Food Bank for Monterey County, Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano, Food Bank of Northern Nevada, Placer Food Bank, Redwood Empire Food Bank, Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz County, Second Harvest of the Greater Valley, and Yolo Food Bank.
“On behalf of Yolo Food Bank and the rest of the food banks benefitting from this effort, I’m honored to thank our dairy farmers who are always there to feed our families. Milk is an important source of nourishment for the more than 21,000 households we serve monthly," said Karen Baker, executive director for Yolo Food Bank. "And the donation couldn't come at a more important time. Not only does food insecurity often spike during the summer with children spending more time at home, but we’ve also seen a 20% increase across food bank distributions since a year ago. I can't stress enough how critical this donation is, it’s like liquid gold for our food bank. Many thanks Raley’s Food For Families for their role in this innovative partnership.”
With help from customers, vendors, and Raley’s team members, Raley’s Food For Families has provided millions of meals to local families. Raley’s absorbs all administrative costs, maximizing the impact of every donation.
“Raley’s Food For Families has been around for 37 years with the sole mission of helping alleviate hunger. And we do that with great partners,” said Chelsea Minor, executive director of Food For Families. “When the California Milk Advisory Board approached us and said, we'd like to give you $20,000, can you help us deliver dairy to our food banks? We said, absolutely. We appreciate the leadership of the dairy farmers to ensure that dairy is getting to every person in our community, whether you purchase it at Raley’s or pick it up at your local food bank.”
Photo courtesy of CMAB.
