Continuing its commitment to provide meals for families in need, the Melaleuca Foundation joined an interfaith effort to buy seven new industrial freezers for Idaho Falls charities. Five freezers were donated to the Community Food Basket, a nonprofit organized by several churches to meet emergency food needs, and two were given to the Salvation Army, a faith-based charity and food pantry.
When the need for the commercial freezers became apparent, a group of individuals and organizations teamed up and quickly raised $27,330 to purchase the units. The Melaleuca Foundation donated $15,000, while Medical Imaging Associates and a few anonymous individuals donated the remaining funds.
“Without community help, many families would go hungry,” Melaleuca CEO Frank VanderSloot said. “Local supermarkets, businesses and individuals are extremely generous in donating food. We made this contribution so these food pantries are no longer limited in how much frozen food they can accept. Now they’ll have the capacity to match the generosity of this community and feed more families.”
The freezers will go a long way toward helping the food pantries meet the community’s growing demands. With the ability to accept and store more frozen food donations, the charities will ensure that more families have access to more nutritious, protein-based options when they need it.
The Community Food Basket gave out almost 1.5 million pounds of food in 2018. Despite a healthy economy, the number of families walking through its doors in times of emergency to receive a few bags of groceries is at an all-time high. In addition, The Salvation Army has lacked the sufficient freezer space to accept more meat donations, making due with just a few worn-out kitchen freezers.
Thanks largely to the Melaleuca Foundation’s contribution and dedication to bless the lives of others, these food pantries will be better equipped to feed families who would otherwise go hungry.
For decades, Melaleuca has supported numerous non-profit organizations to feed hundreds of thousands of families in need and ease the suffering caused by hunger. In 2018, The Wellness Company wrapped up its 29th year sponsoring the Scouting for Food drive. With Melaleuca’s help, the Boy Scouts of America has collected over 6 million pounds of food for families in need.
Over the years, Melaleuca has also delivered truckloads of its snack bars, crackers and other food items to the American Red Cross in the wake of natural disasters. Melaleuca’s food donations have helped thousands of victims displaced by hurricanes, floods, and other catastrophes. In addition, Melaleuca continues to supported Feeding America, the Second Harvest Food Bank, and other organizations committed to ending world hunger.
