A Giant Step for Avocados: Avocados from Peru Teams with Giant Food to Support Local Food Banks

LANDOVER, Md., July 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Giant Food, the Washington D.C. area's leading regional grocery chain, is teaming up with Avocados from Peru (AFP) to donate a trailer of over 40,000 pounds of Avocados from Peru, also known as summer avocados, to Feeding America network members Capital Area Food Bank in Northeast Washington, D.C., and the Maryland Food Bank in Baltimore, Md. Both deliveries will take place on National Avocado Day, Friday, July 31, 2020.

These generous donations will make the globally popular "superfood" more accessible to DMV area families during these challenging times. Depending on their size, that's over 120,000 avocados of the beloved fruit.

"The impact of COVID-19 has been swift and unprecedented. It is therefore a privilege for Avocados from Peru to partner with Giant Food to support people who might be struggling to feed their families during the unparalleled crisis affecting our local communities," said Xavier Equihua, President and CEO of the Peruvian Avocado Commission. 

"Avocados are not only a versatile ingredient that can be used for anything from breakfast to sweet or savory dishes. They also make us feel good, and are nutritionally dense, packed with vitamins, minerals, and healthy mono-saturated fats," said Lisa Coleman, Director of Healthy Living at Giant Food. "We are excited to be able to provide this superfood as part of our ongoing efforts to make sure that all families in our community have access to healthy food options."

"The current need for emergency food is unlike anything we've experienced in our forty-year history," said Radha Muthiah, President and CEO of the Capital Area Food Bank. "With the dramatic decline in retail donations that's occurred as a result of the pandemic, we're so thankful to be receiving a truckload of healthy, easy-to-distribute food that's also culturally relevant for many of the people we serve. Avocados from Peru is making a big difference for many of the thousands of families in our region that are struggling to put meals on the table right now."

The Capital Area Food Bank delivery will feature one of the Peruvian Brothers' famous food trucks from the popular Giuseppe and Mario Lanzone. Capital Area Food Bank staff will also receive a delicious boxed meal made with Avocados from Peru.

"COVID-related demand has reached unprecedented levels, so this donation of high-quality produce could not have come at a better time," Maryland Food Bank President & CEO Carmen Del Guercio said.  "We appreciate Giant's longstanding partnership and their willingness to join with companies like Avocados from Peru to expand their philanthropic efforts even further. These nutrient-rich avocados will be a welcome addition to the product mix we make available to our network of community partners all over Maryland."

Avocados from Peru, also known as the Summer Avocado, are available in all Giant Food stores through September, the peak season for America's favorite superfood. Throughout the summer Giant shoppers will also have free access to AFP's new e-cookbook, "Avocados in Bloom," featuring more than 50 delicious recipes, beautiful photos, and helpful tips for using avocados, as well as valuable nutritional information. In-store displays at Giant will feature "ripening tips" so shoppers can take the guesswork out of achieving prime avo-readiness.

Now more than ever, consumers are seeking ways to maintain their health and provide their families with nutritious food. Giant continues to show its dedication to keeping local communities healthy and promoting access to the food they need.

To learn more about Giant's efforts to support hunger relief and the needs of its communities during this challenging time, visit Giantfood.com.  

About Giant Food
Giant Food is headquartered in Landover, Md. and operates 163 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia with approximately 20,000 associates. Included within the 163 stores are 153 full-service pharmacies, 81 full-service PNC Banks and 23 Starbucks locations. With flexible options and convenient solutions, Giant fits all the ways today's busy consumers want to shop – whether in store, via Giant Pickup or home delivery from Giant Delivers which combined serves 159 store locations. For more information on Giant, visit www.giantfood.com.

About the Peruvian Avocado Commission
The Peruvian Avocado Commission (PAC) is headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was established in 2010 to increase the consumption/demand for Avocados from Peru through advertising, retail promotion and public relations. The PAC's promotional activities are conducted under the guidelines of the federal promotion program for Hass avocados, which is under the oversight of the USDA. For more information about the PAC, please visit www.avocadosfromperu.com.

About the Capital Area Food Bank
Now commemorating its 40th anniversary year, the Capital Area Food Bank works to address hunger today and create brighter futures tomorrow for close to 400,000 people across the region experiencing food insecurity. As the anchor in the area's hunger relief infrastructure, the food bank provides over 30 million meals to people in need each year by supplying food to 450+ nonprofit organizations, including Martha's Table, SOME – So Others Might Eat, DC Central Kitchen, Food for Others, Manna, and others.

About the Maryland Food Bank
The Maryland Food Bank is a nonprofit hunger-relief organization dedicated to feeding people, strengthening communities, and ending hunger for more Marylanders by partnering with local organizations from the western mountains to the Eastern Shore. Last year, the food bank's statewide network of food assistance brought enough resources together to provide the equivalent of 110,000 meals every day (over 40 million meals annually) to hungry children, seniors, veterans, and hard-working families, meeting the immediate needs of hungry Marylanders while simultaneously working to create pathways out of hunger.

SOURCE Giant Food

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