Winn-Dixie & Local Vendors Donate 3 Truckloads of Food and Water to Help Feed Families in Plaquemines and St. Bernard Parishes; Grocer Launches Local Program to Collect Donations for Special United Way Fund
Fishermen in Plaquemines and St. Bernard Parishes got some good news today – they won't have to worry about feeding their families in the immediate future, despite losing their livelihoods because of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
After hearing about the fishermen's plight, Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc., (NASDAQ: WINN) and several of its vendor partners delivered three semi-trailers loaded with 42,000 pounds of food and 28,800 gallons of bottled water to the Second Harvest Food Bank for distribution to food banks serving the two Mississippi River delta parishes.
"Our neighbors in Plaquemines and St. Bernard Parishes face a long and difficult recovery process, and we want to do everything we can to help them," said Joey Medina, Winn-Dixie regional vice president. "That's why we've provided this emergency help today and are launching our 'Neighbors Helping Neighbors' program, which allows our customers to also lend a helping hand."
Winn-Dixie's "Neighbors Helping Neighbors" program is a convenient way people can contribute to a special fund set up by the United Way of Greater New Orleans, which is assisting the fishermen with food, counseling and other assistance. Within the next few days, customers can begin making their donations when they pay for their groceries at any of the grocer's 36 stores in the New Orleans area.
Winn-Dixie customers can donate any amount between 50 cents and $500 directly to the United Way of Greater New Orleans as they pay for their groceries. The cashier will scan a special Neighbors Helping Neighbors bar code, which automatically adds the amount designated by the customer to the total bill.
"Our company has been serving Louisiana since 1956. It's part of our nature to lend a helping hand and improve the lives of people in the communities we serve," said Medina. "We've been part of the rebuilding after Katrina and we're here to help our neighbors affected by this disaster."
Companies that contributed food today include ConAgra, Continental Mills, Flowers Bakery, Frito-Lay, Lou-Ana Foods, Pepsi, Reilly Foods, Ventura Foods, Zapp's Chips and Zatarain's.
About Winn-Dixie
Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc., is one of the nation's largest food retailers. Founded in 1925, the Company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla. The Company currently operates 515 retail grocery locations, including more than 400 in-store pharmacies, in Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia and Mississippi. For more information, please visit www.winn-dixie.com.
Contacts:
Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.
Robin Lake Miller, 904-370-7715 or
904-327-1445 (cell)
MediaRelations@winn-dixie.com
or
St.
John & Partners
Erin Heltz, 985-792-5136 or 985-956-0297 (cell)
erinheltz@sjp.com
or
Second
Harvest Food Bank
Leslie Doles, 504-729-2823 or 504-442-8983 (cell)
ldoles@secondharvest.org
