Avocados from Peru partners with Kroger, Ralphs, Food 4 Less to donate 26,000 avocados

Donating food is one thing. Donating nutritious food is another.

Helping people who need not just food, but healthy, fresh food packed with vitamins and minerals, was top of mind in September, Feeding America’s Hunger Action Month, and when the White House hosted the Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health.

It was also the month that Avocados from Peru collaborated with Kroger, Ralphs and Food 4 Less to donate 26,000 fresh, nutrition-packed avocados to local food banks in the San Bernardino and Riverside areas of California, according to a news release. Avocados from Peru is the brand name for the Peruvian Avocado Commission.

A Sept. 26 celebration honored the donations of 13,000 avocados to the Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino and Feeding America Riverside/San Bernardino. These donations are on top of the more than 50,000 avocados Avocados from Peru has already donated to food banks this summer. 
“It is an honor for our producer, exporter and importer members to donate thousands of healthy and nutrient-dense avocados to help those who struggle with food insecurity,” commission president Xavier Equihua said in the release.

Related: Avocados from Peru, Giant Food, donate tons of avocados

Avocados from Peru is also the official superfood of the Los Angeles Rams football team.
Almost 42 million Americans — one in eight — struggle with hunger, Sunny Reelhorn Parr, corporate affairs director for Kroger, Ralphs and Food 4 Less, said in the release.

“We are committed to changing that by helping to end hunger and waste in our communities. Thank you to Avocados from Peru for their generous support.” 

At the celebration, Avocados from Peru also debuted its Fighting Hunger with Nutrition Award – the first-of-its-kind recognition for leaders who prioritize addressing food insecurity through healthy, sustainable solutions. The winner was Congressman Pete Aguilar, U.S. Representative of California’s 31st district that includes both San Bernardino and Riverside.

Rep. Aguilar accepted the award, thanked the commission and highlighted the impact that food banks and similar organizations have on families facing food insecurity. 

Related: Learn about avocados, the commodity

“Food insecurity affects thousands of parents in the Inland Empire, making it incredibly difficult for them to plan and provide healthy, balanced meals for their children,” Aguilar said, according to the release. “We have more to do to ensure parents do not have to choose between what is nutritious and what is affordable. I will continue to advocate for legislation aimed at reducing the cost of food and tackling the growing food insecurity and hunger crisis we have here in San Bernardino County and across the county.” 
The donated avocados will be distributed to 80 of more than 200 partner agencies, serving an estimated 5,900 families in need, said Richard Schmidt, chief financial officer for Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County.

This celebration was held ahead of the White House’s Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health on Sept. 28. The goal of this conference is to end hunger and increase healthy eating, as well as physical activity, by 2030 to reduce diet-related diseases and disparities across the country.