Nash Finch Company Works to Raise Awareness of Hunger Issue in the Twin Cities

Hunger is a chronic issue in the nine-county Twin Cities region with an estimated 266,000 people living in households struggling to put food on the table, according to the USDA Food Insecurity Report 2007 and American Community Survey 2007. Research commissioned by Hunger Solutions Minnesota also shows that more than half of the families using food shelves are working but each day they must make difficult choices between food, rent and other basic needs. Local food shelves say the current economic downturn is worsening the problem: more people need help but donations and resources are down.

With the need for food reaching record levels, senior executives from Edina-based food company Nash Finch and board members of the NFC Foundation, a non-profit organization established by Nash Finch, are rolling up their sleeves to raise awareness of the problem. On May 14, 2009, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. this team will prepare and serve a meal at Hope Presbyterian Church in Richfield, and clean up afterward. This location was selected because it is the site where a team of Nash Finch employees volunteer monthly to serve meals through Loaves & Fishes, a Twin Cities hunger relief agency.

"Feeding the hungry has long been a focus of the NFC Foundation,” stated Nash Finch President and CEO Alec Covington. "In this current economic climate, we feel it is vital for our senior executive team and NFC Foundation board members to take an active role in calling attention to the plight of the hungry in the Twin Cities. Now is the time for others to volunteer their time and resources to help their neighbors in need.”

The year 2008 was the first time there was more than 2 million visits to food shelves in Minnesota, according to Hunger Solutions Minnesota’s 2008 Review. And, Loaves and Fishes served 347,000 meals in 2008, an 8 percent increase over 2007. "The increased demand is stretching the resources of all of the hunger organizations assisting those in need,” added Loaves & Fishes Executive Director Dean Weigel. "We are very appreciative of Nash Finch’s efforts to create more awareness about this serious issue, and hope that others will be moved to follow their lead and become part of addressing hunger in our community.”

For those wishing to volunteer their time as individuals or as a group, or to make a financial contribution, below is a list of some of the organizations helping to feed the hungry in the Twin Cities. Those interested in making a difference can also plan to participate in the 2009 Walk To End Hunger (www.walktoendhunger.org), taking place Thanksgiving Day at the Mall of America.

Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis: www.ccspm.org

Emergency Foodshelf Network: www.emergencyfoodshelf.org

Greater Twin Cities United Way: www.unitedwaytwincities.org

Hope for the City: www.hope4thecity.com

Hunger Solutions Minnesota: www.hungersolutions.org

Keystone Community Services: www.keystoneservices.org

Loaves & Fishes: www.loavesandfishesmn.org

NFC Foundation: www.nfcfoundation.org

Neighborhood House: www.neighb.org

Neighbors, Inc.: www.neighborsmn.org

Second Harvest Heartland: www.2harvest.org

About Nash Finch

Nash Finch is a Fortune 500 company and one of the leading food distribution companies in the United States. Nash Finch's core business, food distribution, serves independent retailers and military commissaries in 36 states, the District of Columbia, Europe, Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Azores and Egypt. The Company also owns and operates a base of retail stores, primarily supermarkets under the Econofoods(R), Family Thrift Center(R), AVANZA(R) and Sun Mart(R) trade names. Further information is available on the Company's website, www.nashfinch.com.

About the NFC Foundation

The NFC Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit established by Nash Finch Company, exists to aid people in need throughout the communities where Nash Finch associates live and work. The NFC Foundation provides assistance through financial contributions to nonprofits, as well as through associate volunteerism with select organizations. The four major focus areas in which the NFC Foundation invests are literacy & learning, hunger, shelter & safety, and health & nutrition. More information on the NFC Foundation is available at www.nfcfoundation.org.

About Loaves & Fishes

The mission of Loaves & Fishes, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit, is to provide nutritious meals to the hungry of the Twin City Metro area in an atmosphere of hospitality at site locations where the need is greatest and develops joint ventures/partnerships with like-minded organizations to assist guests with additional basic needs and to becoming self-sufficient. This mission is carried out at eight serving locations that provide approximately 1,500 meals each weekday evening. To learn more about Loaves & Fishes, visit their web site at www.loavesandfishesmn.org.