NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HelloFresh, the world’s leading meal kit company, and St. Mary’s Food Bank announced today a donation milestone of 500,000 meals through its Meals with Meaning program. Launched in June of 2022 with an ambitious goal to provide 8,000 meals each week, the program has proven to be incredibly beneficial for families and seniors in Phoenix who are experiencing food insecurity.
HelloFresh has officially become St. Mary’s largest food donor, not only providing the 8,000 weekly meals, but surplus ingredients as well, and having these items delivered directly to seniors’ doors. With fresh food provided directly from HelloFresh’s distribution center in Phoenix, the Meals with Meaning kits consist of a step-by-step recipe card and all of the produce and proteins needed to make hearty meals like Veggie Pasta, Chicken and Rice Soup, Veggie Quesadillas, and Chicken Skillets. The ingredients can also be used to create any dish the recipient would like based on their individual tastes or dietary needs.
“We’re thrilled to reach this important milestone in the Meals with Meaning program, but recognize the need to continue providing meaningful assistance to the Phoenix community as the rates of food insecurity are at historic highs,” said Jeff Yorzyk, Senior Director of Sustainability at HelloFresh. “At HelloFresh, we are committed to supporting the communities where we live and work and are grateful to St. Mary’s Food Bank for helping us alleviate food insecurity throughout the state.”
In Arizona, food insecurity reaches 2 million residents each year. And hunger doesn’t affect everyone equally, with seniors being one of the most vulnerable groups. As this issue continues to persist, HelloFresh has committed to extending their Meals with Meaning program throughout 2024.
“HelloFresh is an important and valued partner to St. Mary’s Food Bank, especially as inflation continues to affect so many of the seniors and families we serve,” Chief Development Officer Lisa Notaro said. “The 500,000 meals they have provided to our visiting and homebound senior clients allow them to make nutritious meals featuring produce and proteins that are so important to their diets. We thank HelloFresh for their commitment to fighting hunger in Arizona and across the country.”
To commemorate the commitment and milestone, HelloFresh and St. Mary’s hosted a special packing and drive-through distribution event earlier today.
The HelloFresh Meals with Meaning program first launched in 2020 as a direct response to the rising rates of food insecurity intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program operates in Newark, NJ; Brooklyn, NY; Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX; Atlanta, GA; and Phoenix, AZ with the help of local community organizers who volunteer their time to pack and distribute the meal kits.
To learn more about the partnership and ways to volunteer, please visit stmarysfoodbank.org. To learn more about HelloFresh’s social impact initiatives through its Beyond the Box program, visit hellofresh.com/beyond-the-box.
About HelloFresh
HelloFresh is the world’s leading meal-kit company. Founded in Berlin in November 2011, the Company now operates across 18 international markets. In 2022, HelloFresh furthered their mission to “change the way people eat forever” by delivering more than 490 million meals to customers across the U.S. HelloFresh was voted the Most Trusted Meal Kit Delivery Service in America in 2021 and 2022 by Newsweek. HelloFresh has offices in New York, Chicago, and Boulder. For more information, visit www.hellofresh.com.
About St. Mary’s Food Bank
As the world’s first food bank, St. Mary’s Food Bank has been providing food to Arizonans in need since 1967. St. Mary’s serves 76,000 square miles of Arizona, distributing enough food for more than 250,000 meals each day. In addition to providing food to more than 800 nonprofit partners such as homeless shelters, senior centers, schools, and faith-based organizations, St. Mary’s offers direct client services through large-scale food pantries in Phoenix, Surprise and Chinle. St. Mary’s reaches rural and remote communities with mobile pantries and distributes culturally relevant food to Tribal communities. St. Mary’s also supports homebound individuals with home deliveries and prepares and delivers meals to children in afterschool and summer programs. In addition to distributing food, St. Mary’s offers culinary and warehouse training to adults with barriers to employment seeking a path to self-sufficiency. Students also receive life skills training and extended job placement services. St. Mary’s has been recognized by Charity Navigator as a Four-Star Charity, by Phoenix Business Journal as the largest Arizona nonprofit for Social Services, and by Forbes as one of America’s Top 100 Charities. St. Mary’s Food Bank is a member of Feeding America and the Arizona Food Bank Network. Website: StMarysFoodBank.org Phone: 602-242-FOOD (3663).
