ConAgra Foods Announces Largest Donation Ever to Fight Child Hunger with Feeding America at the Organization's Concert Featuring Sheryl Crow

Ending September's Hunger Action Month on a high note, a celebrity supporter of Feeding America announced ConAgra Foods Foundation's new $10 million commitment to Feeding America at its "Rock a Little, Feed a Lot" concert Tuesday night featuring Sheryl Crow, Ben Harper and other performers. ConAgra Foods Foundation's contribution is the largest donation ever made to fight child hunger with Feeding America and will help the organization meet the needs of the more than 12 million children in America - one in six - who are at risk of hunger across the country.

Omaha, NB (PRWEB) September 30, 2009

"Hunger Action Month may be coming to an end, but our commitment to ending childhood hunger is year-round," said Gary Rodkin, CEO of ConAgra Foods. "With this $10 million grant to Feeding America's child hunger programs, ConAgra Foods and our Foundation are strengthening our commitment to help provide kids in America with the nourishment to thrive."

The $10 million grant supports new Feeding America child hunger initiatives that provide children with the nourishment needed to succeed in school and life, including:

Establishing the ConAgra Foods Child Hunger Corps, a group of dedicated individuals whose roles will be to advance child hunger programs in communities across the country. Funding the Summer Feeding Program to feed children when they don't have access to free and reduced school breakfast and lunch programs. Creating the new ConAgra Foods Fund to Fight Child Hunger to provide funding to meet critical child hunger needs in communities the Feeding America's network of food banks serves.

Understanding that child hunger can't be solved alone, ConAgra Foods Foundation is also building a community of people passionate about ending child hunger. A new online community launches this week on Facebook (www. facebook. com/ConAgraFoodsFoundation (http://www. facebook. com/ConAgraFoodsFoundation)) and will provide a place where individuals committed to the issue can connect with each other and learn more about ConAgra Foods Foundation and Feeding America's efforts to addressing child hunger.

For every person who becomes a fan of the ConAgra Foods Foundation's Facebook fan page through Oct. 10, ConAgra Foods Foundation will give another $10 to Feeding America. The ConAgra Foods Foundation is committed to giving up to $100,000 donation to Feeding America's child hunger initiatives in addition to the $10 million grant announced at the concert.

ConAgra Foods' relationship with Feeding America is the largest corporate initiative among Feeding America donors dedicated solely to fighting child hunger. Since 1993, ConAgra Foods and its brands have contributed nearly $35 million dollars and more than 230 million pounds of food to support Feeding America programs.

"The ConAgra Foods Foundation has been a deeply committed, generous partner of Feeding America for more than 15 years, and is recognized at the Leadership Partner Level, the highest level among our donors. Additionally, ConAgra Foods Foundation is recognized as the exclusive Leadership Partner in the Fight to End Child Hunger," said Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of Feeding America. "The leadership of the ConAgra Foods Foundation in the fight against domestic child hunger is exceptional and impactful. We are so grateful for this new $10 million commitment, which will help us immensely in the fight against childhood hunger."

Since 1993, ConAgra Foods has had a direct role in supporting many crucial Feeding America's direct service, capacity building, and advocacy initiatives. Groundbreaking ConAgra Foods-funded programs include:

First to fund the Kids Cafe program nationwide, supporting more than 250 sites that provide kids with a safe place to go after school to do homework and eat a free meal. First to create a national program for vehicle grants for Feeding America's network of food banks, enabling transportation of food from warehouses to the distribution sites where its need most. First to direct funding toward the national Simplified Summer Food Service Program - making sure that kids who rely on the federal free lunch and breakfast program during the school year don't go hungry over the summer. First to fund Feeding America's Child Hunger Research - specifically State-By-State Child Hunger Statistics - helping better understand the problem to find a sustainable solution. Leader in building the technology infrastructure for Feeding America to operate more efficiently.

"Our commitment to ending child hunger is the cornerstone of ConAgra Foods' corporate responsibility efforts," said Chris Kircher, president, ConAgra Foods Foundation. "Our employees and our customers care deeply about fighting child hunger and we're engaging our brands - and the consumers who love them - because it's going to take a community of people passionate about ending child hunger to bring an end to this problem."

To join ConAgra Foods Foundation in the fight against child hunger - through a donation, by volunteering, or for more information about how to spread the word about good nutrition - visit the ConAgra Foods Foundation Web site at www. nourishkidstoday. org or on Facebook at www. facebook. com/ConAgraFoodsFoundation (http://www. facebook. com/ConAgraFoodsFoundation).

About ConAgra Foods Foundation

The ConAgra Foods Foundation's Nourish Today, Flourish Tomorrow platform is dedicated to raise awareness of the more than 12 million children in America who are at risk of hunger and don't have enough food to live active, healthful lives, and to aggressively pursue sustainable solutions in the fight against child hunger. The Foundation is committed to building a community of people who are passionate about ensuring that all kids have access to the food and facts they need to eat nutritiously, live balanced lifestyles, and succeed in school and life. ConAgra Foods Foundation invests in national and local partnerships with high-impact, not-for-profit organizations, such as Feeding America, that take an innovative approach to addressing needs in the core areas of hunger and nutrition education. For more information, please visit www. nourishkidstoday. org.

About Feeding America (Formerly America's Second Harvest - The Nation's Food Bank Network)

Feeding America provides low-income individuals and families with the fuel to survive and even thrive. As the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity, our network members supply food to more than 25 million Americans each year, including 9 million children and 3 million seniors. Serving the entire United States, more than 200 member food banks support 63,000 agencies that address hunger in all of its forms. For more information on how you can fight hunger in your community and across the country, visit www. feedingamerica. org.

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