FRESNO (KMJ) — A donation of more than a quarter-of-a-million dollars has been officially received by Community Food Bank. The money is the result of the Feeding Families Fund Drive, which was broadcast live on KMJ in September. For every $1 donated Gar Tootelian added an extra 50c.
“This is the fourth year of the drive, and during those four years we have received enough proceeds from Gar Tootelian to provide over four million meals to families in need in our valley,” explained President and CEO of the Community Food Bank Andy Souza.
The giant check for $286,495.50 was handed over Wednesday morning, in the shadow of Butler Pentecostal Church of God’s neighborhood market. The site is an outlet for the Community Food Bank to distribute produce to local people in need.
“This money will turn into everything from produce, to gas for the trucks to get it out here. All the things it takes to run a food bank.
“We’re serving 280,000 people every month with the partnership of 200 agencies, and we also do about 100 direct distributions ourselves, so it is a busy operation.
“We move about seven truckloads of food in and out of our warehouse every day.”
The cooperation between Community Food Bank and Reedley based Gar Tootelian started around four years ago. That conversation established the Feeding Families Fund Drive.
“We’re are very community minded,” explains Gar Tootelian partner Karen Musson.
“We see the great need and we see the Community Food Bank has really responded to the need.”
Hear the report from KMJ’s Dominic McAndrew as it aired:
