Bob Evans Farms® Announces Hunger Free Communities Campaign

NEW ALBANY, Ohio, Oct. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- In America, an estimated three million households are food insecure – that amounts to one in six people who lack the nutritious food needed to live a healthy life.* Bob Evans Farms is pledging to continue the fight to end hunger through its Hunger Free Communities campaign, and is offering more ways to help feed families this holiday season.

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"Our passion for giving began with our founder, Bob Evans," says Steven Davis, Bob Evans Farms chairman and CEO. "It continues today through the generosity of our guests and our employees.  Hunger does not discriminate between urban, suburban and rural areas.  The Hunger Free Communities campaign provides a powerful platform for raising awareness and supporting those who are hungry in our communities."

Fresh Produce Initiative
Bob Evans kicked off the Hunger Free Communities campaign at the grand opening of its new corporate campus in New Albany, Ohio on Oct. 26, with a $50,000 contribution to support Mid-Ohio Foodbank's fresh food initiative.  An estimated three to six billion pounds of fresh produce grown each year in America does not make it to market. At the request of Feeding America, Mid-Ohio Foodbank launched a national initiative to get more of that produce from farmers' fields to the tables of America's hungry families. Bob Evans Food Products also donated sausage that equated to 18,000 meals to the Foodbank, which serves 20 counties in central and eastern Ohio.

Hunger Free Communities Fundraiser
On Nov. 7, Bob Evans Restaurants nationwide will hold a community fundraiser that donates 15 percent of sales to support the soup kitchens, shelters and agencies that participate in Bob Evans Harvest Program. Guests can participate by bringing in a flier that will be available at local Bob Evans Restaurants and their local Harvest partners.  Each day, Bob Evans restaurants and food facilities donate unused food to these local agencies. Last year, more than 10 million meals were donated.

Farmhouse Feast® Donation Program
Starting as a grassroots effort in 2010 by restaurant employees, Bob Evans is once again offering the Farmhouse Feast donation program. Thanks to generous donations from guests, more than 5,300 Farmhouse Feasts were purchased and delivered by our employees to local charities last year.  From Oct. 31 to Dec. 25, guests are invited to join Bob Evans in helping to make the holidays brighter for area families by making $1, $5 or $10 donations in restaurant or online. The Bob Evans Farmhouse Feast meal is available in two sizes to satisfy families large and small, serving up to eight or four, and comes with a choice of a slow-roasted whole boneless turkey breast or sliced boneless ham, bread and celery dressing, mashed potatoes with gravy, buttered sweet corn, green beans with ham, cranberry relish, rolls, and a pumpkin pie with whipped topping, providing a complete holiday meal for families in need.

"Demand for emergency food assistance has never been greater. We are grateful to have support of committed organizations like Bob Evans Farms," said Matt Habash, president and CEO, of Mid-Ohio Foodbank. "Partners like Bob Evans make our mission not only possible but deeply rewarding. In food assistance, fresh is the future. Through our expanded partnership with Bob Evans, we are planting the seeds for the future and ensuring that no one in our community goes hungry."

To learn more ways that Bob Evans is giving back, visit http://www.bobevans.com/bekind.

*Source: Feeding America

About Bob Evans Farms, Inc.
Bob Evans Farms, Inc. owns and operates full-service restaurants under the Bob Evans Restaurants brand name. At the end of the first fiscal quarter (July 26, 2013), Bob Evans Restaurants owned and operated 560 family restaurants in 19 states, primarily in the Midwest, mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions of the United States. Bob Evans Farms, Inc., through its BEF Foods segment, is also a leading producer and distributor of refrigerated side dishes, pork sausage and a variety of refrigerated and frozen convenience food items under the Bob Evans and Owens brand names. For more information about Bob Evans Farms, Inc., visit www.bobevans.com.

SOURCE Bob Evans