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Peoria Area Food Bank receives $3,300 donation from WCF.

16-October, 2012

Peoria Area Food Bank receives $3,300 donation from WCF.

Photo Caption:Presenting a donation of $3,300 to Barb Shreves, Food Bank Director, Peoria Area Food Bank is Mike White, Senior Vice President, Woodforest National Bank; Boyd Nelson, Regional Manager, Woodforest National Bank; Kim Marling, Executive Director & Vice President, Woodforest Charitable Foundation; Jeremy Horton, Assistant Director, Woodforest Charitable Foundation; with area Woodforest National Bank Mangers.

PEORIA, IL – Peoria Area Food Bank welcomes a $3,300 gift from Woodforest Charitable Foundation.

Established in 1934, the Peoria Area Food Bank provides food for 120 partner agencies such as emergency pantries, soup kitchens and homeless shelters throughout eight counties in Illinois. The food bank helps to feed over 10,000 people weekly as they distribute more than 1 million pounds of food annually.

“As you are very aware, the need to help people fight this epidemic of hunger has increased the past couple of years. We couldn’t do what we do without your support. Thank you for all you do to feed hungry people. Your passion is very apparent and we do need more leaders such as yourself,” said Barb Shreves, Director of Peoria Area Food Bank.

The food bank receives food from large manufacturers, corporations, and the federal government and then distributes it to a growing number of food pantries and soup kitchens. Almost all of the pantries served are operated by faith-based organizations and churches. There are 57 food pantries in Peoria alone.

“Our member agencies have expressed concern about having enough food available on their shelves to feed the hungry people they are serving. They have families coming in that have never had to use the panty before and many of them are people who are working two jobs to make ends meet. Our busiest time of the year is approaching and because of you donors and wonderful foundations like yours, we are going to have plenty of food on our shelves to help them feed the hungry,” said Shreves.

Peoria Area Food Bank is hoping to add to both volunteer opportunities and employees while expanding new programs such as mobile food pantries and the backpack program for children at risk of being food insecure.

For more information on Woodforest Charitable Foundation’s contributions to this organization, please contact this agency directly at (309) 671-3900 or visit www.pcceo.org.

The Woodforest Charitable Foundation was created by Woodforest National Bank in 2005 as a direct result of its desire to support and invest in the communities in which it serves.  The Foundation is creating a legacy of commitment to those in need, enriching lives and communities through dedicated leadership and faithful administration by providing funding to qualifying 501(c) (3) charities. For additional information regarding The Woodforest Charitable Foundation, call (832) 375-CARE (2273) or visit the foundation’s website at www.woodforestcharitablefoundation.org .

Celebrating 32 years of service and ranked among the top earning banks in the United States, the Woodforest family of banks currently has assets of approximately $3.7 billion and services more than 1 million customers with branches in excess of 780 throughout 17 states:  Texas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.  For information about Woodforest National Bank, please call 832-375-2000 or visit the bank’s website at www.woodforest.com.