Feeding America Prepares For Hurricane Sandy

Member Food Banks Ready to Provide Emergency Food and Water To Thousands Affected by the Storm

CHICAGO, Oct. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the nation's largest domestic hunger relief organization, Feeding America is preparing to provide food, water and other supplies to those affected by Hurricane Sandy. Thousands of pounds of supplies are already stationed near the anticipated disaster zone to make sure that those affected by the storm have immediate access to food and water.

Through a network of more than 200 food banks and 61,000 food pantries, emergency shelters and soup kitchens,  Feeding America is able to reach into disaster affected communities with basic needs supplies including food, water and cleaning products. It is anticipated that the service areas of 25 to 35 Feeding America food banks could be adversely affected by the storm.

The organization has pre-staged emergency food supplies throughout the nation, including significant quantities of food and water at the Community Food Bank of New Jersey in Hillside. These provisions can be to quickly transport to food banks throughout the region as they are needed.

Feeding America food banks help low-income Americans throughout the nation 365 days a year.  They will distribute more than 3.5 billion pounds of food and groceries to more than 37 million Americans in 2012.

"It is our responsibility to ensure preparedness for disaster response and relief, so that we can move food to affected areas as quickly as possible -- and stay as long as our help is needed," said Matt Knott, interim president and CEO of Feeding America. "We are there to offer support long after these disasters disappear from the headlines."

Feeding America's advance disaster response efforts are funded by grants from Allstate Insurance, Abbott Laboratories and PepsiCo.

Feeding America has a trained approximately 80 designated staff throughout the Food Bank Network to serve on support teams in the event of a large scale disaster. In addition, Feeding America provides specialized disaster training for its food banks around the country, ensuring a prepared network and seamless disaster response.

In 2005, Feeding America formalized its commitment to providing aid during times of disaster, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Today, as a member of the National Volunteer Organizations Assisting in Disaster (NVOAD), Feeding America is often among the first responders called upon to assist with relief and recovery during a national emergency.

Feeding America (then named America's Second Harvest) provided more than 83 million pounds of supplies to Louisiana and other Gulf States during the months-long recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

To learn more about Feeding America and its disaster relief operations, or to donate to the organization, please visit www.feedingamerica.org.  Donations can also be accepted by calling 800-910-5524.

About Feeding America

Feeding America provides low-income individuals and families with the fuel to survive and even thrive. As the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity, our network members supply food to more than 37 million Americans each year, including 14 million children and 3 million seniors. Serving the entire United States, more than 200 member food banks support 61,000 agencies that address hunger in all of its forms. For more information on how you can fight hunger in your community and across the country, visit www.feedingamerica.org. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/FeedingAmerica or follow our news on Twitter at twitter.com/FeedingAmerica.

Contact:
Ross Fraser
Feeding America
312-641-6422

SOURCE Feeding America