Responding to the unrelenting need for support due to the Coronavirus pandemic, GSF Foundation volunteers from across the Golden State Foods family of companies continue to give back in the communities where associates live and work. Doing whatever they can to be of service to others, hundreds of compassionate Foundation helpers have opened their hearts and given of their time, talent and treasure throughout trying times of widespread hardship and uncertainty.
“At this point, we understand that the immense needs of our most vulnerable community members will not let up any time soon,” said Tess McAnena, GSF Foundation Executive Director. “With ever-growing opportunities to help, I’m so inspired by our local Foundation committees and their perseverance in carrying out our mission to help improve the quality of life for children and families in need.”
In Charlotte, North Carolina, GSF Foundation volunteers and their families wrote 100 letters of appreciation, assembled 100 snack packs, and donated 100 boxed lunches to healthcare heroes at Levine Children’s Hospital. A local community group, the Ghostbusters of North Carolina, helped make the special delivery in early May.
One of Golden State Foods’ newest distribution locations, Quality Custom Distribution (QCD) Boston, donated two pallets of orange juice along with other snack cheese and meat products to its local food pantry and in turn, to first responders at fire and police stations, and to public schools. Half a pallet of orange juice benefited children who receive free or reduced lunch through their school.
As food insecurity continues to challenge countless families, QCD Denver supported its local Food Bank of the Rockies by transporting surplus Starbucks product donations and providing a long-term loan of a refrigerated trailer for extra cool storage of perishable food. In an email to its supporters in April, the Food Bank shared:
“The flow of produce donations has been very high as the supply chains try to adjust for the change in restaurant volume. Without this critical resource, we would have had to turn down a number of donations.”
Foundation volunteers from KanPak Kansas helped Angels in the Attic unload truckloads of food donations, as a growing number of families in Arkansas City and surrounding communities continue to struggle with food insecurity due to Coronavirus and its economic impact. In Penn Yan, New York, KanPak volunteers donated 600 face masks to the staff of local schools.
Supporting COVID-19 relief efforts, QCD Orlando volunteers, with the help of Starbucks, donated 84 cases of ready-to-eat snack boxes to One Heart for Women and Children. The nonprofit helps families transition through and overcome varying hardships by providing food, clothes, personal hygiene essentials, and life skills classes.GSF Foundation Spokane volunteers purchased and delivered food bank donations to support neighbors in need in the Washington and Idaho communities where QCD associates live and work. This spring, QCD Seattle donated non-food items to Emergency Food Network and its partner programs, which have experienced increasing demand for items like sturdy cardboard boxes, body wash, and hand soap.
GSF Foundation Spokane volunteers purchased and delivered food bank donations to support neighbors in need in the Washington and Idaho communities where QCD associates live and work. This spring, QCD Seattle donated non-food items to Emergency Food Network and its partner programs, which have experienced increasing demand for items like sturdy cardboard boxes, body wash, and hand soap.
By pulling together as a team and through micro-volunteering, associates continue to seek out ways to help their local communities through challenging times. GSF Foundation volunteers take action to give back, show gratitude, and support those in need. With every passing week, their kindness and generosity add up to a much bigger impact.