Raley’s Food For Families aims to end hunger locally by providing fresh and healthy food to those who need it most. In 32 years of service, Raley’s Food For Families has given over $36 million and many pounds of food, providing more than 40 million meals. Learn a bit about their history and how you can support their initiatives this holiday season (and maybe make a new stuffed friend).

Raley’s Food For Families’ 2018 Holiday Bag

Here’s Raley’s Food For Families’ story.

Raley’s Food For Families was founded in 1986 by Joyce Raley Teel and former Raley’s President Chuck Collings. It began as a simple holiday food drive and quickly grew into a year-round fight to end hunger.

In 2018, Raley’s Food For Families aligned with Feeding America. They now have 12 food bank partners across their company footprint to ensure they reach as many food insecure individuals as possible.

Their 12 partners, including Second Harvest, are centralized food banks who serve hundreds of localized food agencies across their company footprint of 129 stores stretching as far north as Yreka, CA and Elko, NV and as far south as Salinas, CA and Tonopah, NV.

Raley’s Food For Families raises funds for partner food banks, including Second Harvest.

Operating as a true community partnership, Raley’s Food For Families now raises funds in a variety of ways – at the check stand, online and on Facebook. And that holiday food drive? They’re still at it! Last year, their annual Food For Families holiday program raised over 2.5 million nutritious meals for local families in need.

In addition, all Raley’s, Bel Air, Nob Hill Foods, and Food Source stores donate unsellable grocery and food products to Food For Families’ partner food banks. Items donated are unable to be sold for a variety of reasons, but they’re still perfectly safe to be consumed. By getting these products into the hands of those who need them, our Food For Families food rescue program not only diverts usable food from unnecessarily entering the waste stream, it’s also an important source of daily donations for hundreds of food banks across our region.

Below are some pictures from one of Second Harvest’s distributions, the Bethel Lutheran Church Produce Mobile. Raley’s Food For Families provided exceptional produce.

Thank you Raley’s Food for Families for providing fresh fruits to our clients!

Here’s how you can support Raley’s Food For Families’ and their Holiday Food Drive benefiting Second Harvest.

There are many ways to contribute to Raley’s Food For Families’ growing efforts—at the checkstand in one of their store locations, online through their donation page, and on their Facebook page as well.

They also hold various fundraising campaigns throughout the year including their holiday bag drive.

Meet “Mulbeary,” the winning name in the 2018 Raley’s Food For Families Holiday Teddy Bear Naming Contest!

The bears are currently in all stores for $10 each, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Food For Families. Be sure to pick up your very own “Mulbeary” soon- they also make a great gift!