LONG ISLAND CITY, NY--(Marketwire - Dec 21, 2012) - FreshDirect announces its contribution to help over 30 families affected by Hurricane Sandy by donating family meal packages through the Williams' Point of Hope Foundation and Autism Speaks holiday event hosted tomorrow by Brooklyn Nets guard Deron Williams and his wife Amy. In the aftermath of the storm, FreshDirect has made donations to many New York City and Philadelphia non-profit organizations, distributing fresh and healthy foods to families in need, while continuing to serve communities that the company supports year round.
Through City Harvest and the Church of the Nazarene in Far Rockaway, Queens in New York and Philabundance and Project H.O.M.E. in Philadelphia, FreshDirect donated more than 376,000 pounds of fresh food and more than 2,000 holiday turkey meals in the days and weeks following the hurricane, which was distributed to local food bank systems and shelters.
"City Harvest has been working hard to support Hurricane Sandy victims while continuing to feed the hungry men, women and children who rely on our network of some 600 soup kitchens and food pantries," said Matthew Reich, VP, Operations for City Harvest. "We appreciate the healthy variety of food that Fresh Direct provides throughout the year to help our neighbors in need, and we are especially thankful for their generous contributions in the aftermath of the hurricane when we have seen a significant increase in demand for emergency food across the city."
FreshDirect customers also wanted to help. "In addition to the food donations, FreshDirect decided to partner with The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services teams to provide customers an opportunity to contribute during this difficult time," said Jason Ackerman, FreshDirect Co-Founder and CEO.
On Nov. 20, FreshDirect launched a donation campaign for customers to add $5, $10 or $25 during checkout to any FreshDirect purchase to benefit disaster services provided by The Salvation Army Greater New York Division and The Salvation Army of Greater Philadelphia. To date, more than $5,000 has been raised. FreshDirect is accepting customer donations through Dec. 27.
"As a company also impacted by this super storm, we want to do everything we can to help our community recover from the hurricane's aftermath as quickly as possible," said Ackerman. "Through all of our efforts, strong community partnerships and customer generosity we have also been able to donate food and funds to people in need. We are certain that we can all work together to rebuild and recuperate from the storm and come back stronger than ever."
About FreshDirect
FreshDirect is a leading online grocer in the U.S., delivering premium quality fresh-from-the-farm foods and brand-name groceries to customers in the greater New York, New Jersey, Connecticut metro area and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. With a more than 2,000-member workforce that is still growing, FreshDirect places an emphasis on nutritious, delicious meals and convenient services that allow customers more time to live healthy lives. FreshDirect aspires to be a valued corporate partner in all communities in which it serves.
For more information, visit www.freshdirect.com. Follow FreshDirect on Twitter: @freshdirect and on Facebook: facebook.com/FreshDirect