Employees and franchisees of Dunkin’ Brands will volunteer at America’s Second Harvest Food Banks throughout the nation to fight hunger in their local communities during the month of July. There will be an estimated 250 volunteers donating their time in 16 cities.
This effort is part of Dunkin’ Brands long-term commitment to support the efforts of America’s Second Harvest–The Nation’s Food Bank Network, help to feed the more than 35 million Americans who live in “food insecure households,” which means that they do not always know where they will find their next meal. This year, Dunkin’ Brands Community Foundation, the charitable foundation of Dunkin’ Brands and independent Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins franchisees, donated nearly $300,000 to America’s Second Harvest’s efforts to prepare for and respond to disasters.
Volunteers will perform a wide variety of tasks in their efforts to help feed people at risk of hunger. In Boston, they will sort food at the Greater Boston Food Bank. In Charlotte, North Carolina, employees will help pack nearly 500 backpacks with “child friendly food” that children will take home to help feed their families. In Cleveland, Ohio, workers will help chop meats and vegetables and prepare breakfast and lunch.
“From California wildfires to Midwest tornados and East Coast hurricanes, America’s Second Harvest rises to the occasion to serve our communities in their times of need,” says Paul Leech, chief administrative officer of Dunkin’ Brands and the co-chair of the Dunkin’ Brands Community Foundation. “With this volunteer day, it’s our way of giving back to an organization that helps so many people in the communities where we live and work.”
“Dunkin’ Brands has proven to be an invaluable partner to America’s Second Harvest. The Dunkin’ Brands Community Foundation has made extremely generous financial donations to our disaster relief efforts, allowing us to provide food and water to individuals affected by disasters,” says Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of America’s Second Harvest. “The organization’s latest efforts to engage its employees and franchisees provide the invaluable service of raising awareness of hunger in our country, and of the devastating effects that lack of adequate nutrition has on both children and the elderly. We hope that all of corporate America will follow this impressive lead.”
Dunkin Brands employees are also scheduled to volunteer in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Las Vegas, Miami, Nashville, New York City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Providence, Tampa, Washington, D.C., and Youngstown, Ohio.
“Throughout the Dunkin’ Brands system, our franchisees, crew members and corporate employees share a passion for the people who serve our communities in times of crisis,” says Stephan Shelton, a Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins franchisee and co-chair of the Dunkin’ Brands Community Foundation.
“The fact that so many of our employees and franchisees have expressed an interest in spending a day helping America’s Second Harvest do its important work better shows how valuable the organization is to communities throughout America.”
America’s Second Harvest–The Nation’s Food Bank Network is the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the U.S. Through its network of more than 200 member food banks, America’s Second Harvest annually provides assistance to more than 25 million people in need, including more than 9 million children and nearly 3 million seniors in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Each year, America’s Second Harvest secures and distributes more than 2 billion pounds of food and grocery products to support feeding programs at approximately 63,000 local charitable agencies, including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after-school programs, and Kids Cafes..
The Dunkin’ Brands Community Foundation brings together a wide network of stakeholders, including Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins franchisees, crew members, and employees, to support the service and leadership of emergency response organizations, especially in times of crisis. The Foundation supports emergency responders by providing financial assistance, building capacity, developing partnerships, encouraging volunteerism, and honoring local heroes.
