LOS ANGELES, Nov. 10, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Ralphs Grocery Company is inviting customers to help end hunger in our communities by supporting local food banks and families in need this holiday season.

Beginning November 8, 2017, customers and Ralphs associates may support local food banks by donating their spare change in collection canisters located at the check stands in their neighborhood Ralphs supermarket. This will continue through February 3, 2018.

All donations will be distributed to Feeding America-affiliated food banks and hunger relief organizations in communities across Southern California served by Ralphs stores. These important funds will provide food banks the products they need to feed the hungry during the holidays and throughout the year.

"Throughout our history, Ralphs has always provided the food and nourishment people need to live their best lives," said Valerie Jabbar, president of Ralphs. "Still, too many Californians struggle with food insecurity. As Southern California's leading supermarket chain, Ralphs is uniquely positioned to address his alarming statistic."

Ralphs' holiday hunger fundraising program is part of the supermarket company's Zero Hunger | Zero Waste initiative. This bold initiative seeks to end hunger in the communities served by Ralphs supermarkets in Southern California and eliminate waste across the company by 2025.

"Ralphs is committed to the fight against hunger," added Myeisha Gamino, Ralphs' director of corporate affairs. "We hope these efforts will make a difference."

Food banks benefiting from this year's holiday hunger fundraising campaign include: Feeding America San Diego; FIND Food Bank (Indio); Food Bank of Santa Barbara County; Food Share (Oxnard); Los Angeles Regional Foodbank; Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County; and Second Harvest Food Bank Serving Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.

Ralphs' ongoing commitment to bring as much food as possible to hungry families also includes its company-wide Perishables Donations Partnership (PDP) program. The program allows fresh, wholesome food such as meat, produce and dairy products, to be donated directly from Ralphs stores to local food banks that are able to safely handle perishable foods.

Through its PDP program, Ralphs has donated more than 3 million pounds of perishable foods to Southern California food banks this year. This represents more than 2.5 million meals for hungry families.

About Ralphs
Ralphs Grocery Company was founded in 1873 and currently operates 191 supermarkets from its headquarters in Los Angeles County. Last year, Ralphs contributed more than $6 million to support education, hunger relief, women's health and local nonprofit organizations in the communities served by the company's stores. Ralphs is a subsidiary of The Kroger Co., (NYSE:KR), one of the world's largest retailers, based in Cincinnati, Ohio. For more about Ralphs, please visit our web site at www.ralphs.com.

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SOURCE Ralphs Grocery Company