RiceSelect® Jars of Hope™ Initiative Expands to Washington This October

Third annual campaign to fight hunger continues partnership with California Food Banks^TMwhile adding Seattle-based Food Lifeline

HOUSTON, Oct. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Building on two successful years supporting families across California, Riviana Foods Inc. (Riviana) is expanding its RiceSelect® Jars of Hope^TM initiative into Washington, extending the campaign beyond California for the first time. The third annual Jars of Hope initiative continues its partnership with California Food Banks^TM while adding Food Lifeline to help address food insecurity in Washington.

Through the initiative, the RiceSelect brand will donate one jar of rice or grains for every two RiceSelect jars purchased at participating retailers in California and Washington. Albertsons, Foods Co., Food4Less, Fred Meyer, Raley's, Ralphs, QFC and Walmart are participating retailers for this year's program, which runs October 1-31, 2026.

"Over the past two years, we've seen firsthand how a simple purchase can make a meaningful difference for families facing hunger," said Megan Byerly, RiceSelect Brand Manager. "Expanding into Washington allows us to build on that momentum and extend the program's impact to communities in the Pacific Northwest."

In its first two years, Jars of Hope raised almost $250,000 in monetary and in-kind contributions for the nearly nine million Californians – more than one in five residents – currently struggling with food insecurity. In Washington, 9.5% of households experience food insecurity, and that number is on the rise. Through their respective networks, California Food Banks and Food Lifeline work year-round to ensure individuals and families have access to nutritious food and critical resources.

"Strong partnerships like this help food banks meet the growing need for shelf-stable food," said Yulanda Smith, Vice President External Affairs, California Food Banks. "We're grateful to continue working with the RiceSelect team in the fight against hunger."

"This partnership with the RiceSelect brand will help us provide nourishing, culturally relevant food to more people facing hunger in Western Washington." said Ken Ryals, Chief Development Officer, Food Lifeline. "Every jar donated through this campaign will strengthen our ability to meet growing needs in the communities we serve."

For more information, visit www.RiceSelect.com/Jars-Of-Hope.

ABOUT RIVIANA FOODS INC.
Riviana Foods Inc. ("Riviana") is the largest processor, marketer and distributor of branded and private label rice products in the United States. The Riviana family of well-known brands includes RiceSelect®, Minute®, Success®, Mahatma®, Carolina®, and Tilda®. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Riviana is a subsidiary of Ebro Foods, S.A., a company known as the global leader in rice.

All RiceSelect® products are made with the finest ingredients using high standards and rigorous attention to detail. Each product provides a special quality, taste, or texture, making it perfectly suited for a wide variety of recipe applications. The RiceSelect® product line includes rice varieties such as Arborio, Jasmati®, Texmati®, and Sushi, as well as rice blend (Royal Blend®), Couscous, Pearl Couscous, Orzo and Quinoa products.

ABOUT CALIFORNIA FOOD BANKS^TM
Since forming in 1997, California Food Banks^TM (also known as California Association of Food Banks) has grown into a powerful network leading the fight against hunger, united by a shared belief that access to food is a fundamental right. California Food Banks^TM partners with 43 food banks, 6,000+ community-based organizations, and 200+ agricultural partners, all working towards a common mission: ending hunger through collaborative partnerships. California Food Banks^TM is a collective force making equitable access to food the standard, not the exception. For more information about California Food Banks^TM, please visit cafoodbanks.org.

ABOUT FOOD LIFELINE
Food Lifeline supports people facing hunger in Western Washington. Our work increases daily food access for our local communities and advances long-term policies for the entire state. We do this in coordination with a network of thousands, including neighbors, community partners, volunteers, donors, legislators, and more. In our region, 1 in 8 people and 1 in 5 children experienced hunger. We support neighbors facing hunger by listening to their needs, connecting them to nourishing food, and speaking up for change. In the last year, Food Lifeline provided 73.1 million pounds of food to Western Washington communities through our network, which reported 16 million service visits from neighbors.

Legal Disclaimer:
CA minimum jar donation: 10,000 and maximum jar donation: 15,000. CA Charity: California Association of Food Banks (DBA California Food BanksTM). 1616 Franklin Street, #300 Oakland, CA 94612. WA minimum jar donation: 3,000 and maximum jar donation: 5,000. WA Charity: Food Lifeline Hunger Solution Center. 815 S. 96th Street, Seattle, WA 98108. Purchase is not tax deductible. Sponsor: Riviana Foods Inc. P.O. Box 2636, Houston, TX 77252

SOURCE Riviana Foods