- Over $350,000 will be donated to local food banks and self-help organizations

- Also, all 167 Stater Bros. Supermarkets are collecting food for struggling families

- And additional donations can be made at each check stand for hunger relief

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif., Nov. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Stater Bros., in conjunction with its charitable arm Stater Bros. Charities, is launching an urgently needed campaign to help local families who are faced with hunger this Holiday Season. "Harvesting Hope in our Community" will provide cash and food donations to local food banks and emergency food providers that are currently experiencing an increase of at least 30% in requests for assistance this year. Some organizations have been forced to close while others are facing long lines of families in need. Because of this, the coordinated campaign will run through December 27th, for an entire two months, to assist with hunger relief efforts in the communities where Stater Bros. customers and employees live and work.

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"I always tell my employees to do the right thing for the right reason," said Jack H. Brown, Chairman and CEO of Stater Bros. Markets. "Helping families in need this Holiday Season is definitely the right thing to do."

Throughout the months of November and December, Stater Bros. Charities will be presenting over $350,000 in total donations to various Southern California food banks and self-help organizations. Over 100 organizations will receive donation checks to assist with the larger needs they are already facing this Holiday Season. From bottles and blankets to food and program support, each of these cash donations will go towards the fight against hunger.

In addition to cash donations, all 167 Stater Bros. Supermarkets will have food barrels in the front of the store to collect non-perishable food items for families in need in the local communities. Some of the products in greatest demand include canned fruits and vegetables, whole grains (such as oatmeal, crackers, cereal and pasta), canned meats, canned or dry beans, and shelf-stable dairy products. This food will be shared with regional food banks and charities to assist those families who are struggling to make ends meet.

All Stater Bros. check stands will offer yet another opportunity for Stater Bros. customers and employees to make cash donations to the "Harvesting Hope in our Community" campaign. "Harvesting Hope" Donation Canisters will be located at the end of every check stand for loose change. Every check stand will also have $10 "Harvesting Hope" Scannable Donation Cards, and each $10 donation will provide 30 full meals. Then at the conclusion of this campaign, Stater Bros. Charities will be making further monetary donations to fight hunger.

"It's our hope that every person living in our community will be cared for this Holiday Season," said Brown. "Because of this, Stater Bros. Charities and Stater Bros. Markets are honored to help in a larger way this year by making substantial contributions to the organizations that serve on the frontlines."

Stater Bros. believes in being a good neighbor, and the "Harvesting Hope in our Community" campaign winds up Stater Bros. year-long efforts to support nonprofit organizations in the communities it serves. Each year, Stater Bros. contributes over $15 million to assist those in need, with an emphasis on worthy programs that benefit hunger relief, health and nutrition, and education. Stater Bros. also donates over 3 million pounds annually of food and products to the local food banks.

Stater Bros. was founded in 1936 in Yucaipa, California, and has grown steadily through the years to become the largest privately owned Supermarket Chain in Southern California and the largest private employer in both San Bernardino County and Riverside County, with annual sales in 2008 of $3.74 billion. During the past ten years, Stater Bros. has contributed $100 million in support of nonprofit organizations in the communities it serves. The Company operates 167 Supermarkets, and there are over 19,000 members of the Stater Bros. "Family" of Employees.

STATER BROS. MARKETS...SERVING SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FAMILIES FOR 73 YEARS

    Contact:
    Susan Atkinson
    Vice President Corporate Affairs
    Stater Bros. Markets
    (909) 733-5038

SOURCE Stater Bros. Markets

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