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Woodforest Charitable Foundation Donates donates $11,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina

Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC Receives $11,000 Donation

Photo Caption:Woodforest Branch Managers from across the state joined Kim Marling, Vice President/Executive Director of Woodforest Charitable Foundation; Jessica Ramirez, North Carolina Regional Vice President and Clyde Fitzgerald, Executive Director of Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina.

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina (June 14, 2010) – No parent wants their child to go hungry.  Unfortunately, many parents across Northwest North Carolina lack the resources to provide adequate nutrition for their families.  In response to this need, Woodforest Charitable Foundation donated $11,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina’s in support of their childhood hunger programs.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina is the major distributor of donated food and grocery products in the region, collecting and distributing products to nearly 400 nonprofit partner agencies that annually feed thousands of people in need throughout 18 counties.  Within the Food Bank’s service area, 47percent of students enrolled in school qualify for the National Free and Reduced Lunch program; a startling indicator of the extent to which many families are struggling economically in the region.  The Food Bank collaborates with partner agencies to provide food to kids through two special programs aimed at reducing childhood hunger: Kids Cafe and The BackPack Program.

The Kids Cafe program was established to provide healthy meals for underserved children in a safe after school environment.  The Café works to lessen the impact of hunger by offering a hot nutritious dinner from a menu that relies on fresh fruits, vegetables and protein. In addition to Kids Café, the Food Bank supports the BackPack Program.  The BackPack Program targets elementary school children in areas where the risk of chronic hunger is high.  Each child that has been identified as food-deprived receives a weekly backpack filled with child-friendly, easy to prepare, non-perishable food on Fridays to take home for the weekend.  “During these challenging economic times, unemployment in our region remains in the double-digits and the number of people in need of food assistance continues to grow. Unfortunately those in need are the first to suffer in tough times and the last to benefit from recovery,” said Clyde Fitzgerald, Executive Director of Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina. “Woodforest Charitable Foundation’s generous support is crucial in ensuring that our hungry neighbors are fed.”
For more information about Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina, please call (336) 784-5770 or visit www.hungernwnc.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 30 years of service and ranked among the top earning banks in the United States, the Woodforest family of banks currently has assets of approximately $3.2 billion and services more than 770,000 customers with branches in excess of 700 throughout fifteen states: Texas, Alabama, 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.