The Hinesville Save-a-Lot food store donated 10,000 pink lady apples to America’s Second Harvest Food Bank of Coastal Georgia during a ceremony Thursday morning attended by Hinesville Mayor Jim Thomas, Save-a-Lot District Manager Mike Holcombe and Second Harvest Food Servicing Manager Russ Toler.
“This (donation) will fill a lot of baskets for our kids and families,” Thomas said.
Toler said the donation comes at an opportune time since many low-income children often go without nutritious breakfasts and lunches when public schools break for summer vacation.
Save-a-Lot is a national chain of discount, limited-assortment grocery stores. Store officials say the company is committed to supporting hunger relief programs as part of the “Take a Bite Out of Hunger” promotion.
“During the months of November 2010 through January 2011, Save-a-Lot participated in an  apple promotion that allowed retailers and their consumers to earn a special shipment of fresh apples for local food banks based on retail sales of fresh apples,” Save-a-Lot spokesman Chon Tomlin said. “The promotion was part of a national campaign sponsored by Washington apple shipper First Fruits Marketing.”
Tomlin said First Fruits is a family owned company “that tithes through giving.” She said eight communities received a total donation of 80,000 apples.
America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia was established 30 years ago as a volunteer-driven nonprofit food bank. The organization serves 21 counties in Southeastern Georgia with the mission of feeding hungry people and strengthening communities, according to www.helpendhunger.com.
America’s Second Harvest provides a warehouse and distribution center for more than 300 area nonprofit partner organizations including food pantries, homeless shelters, soup kitchens, domestic-abuse facilities, senior centers and daycare centers for low-income children, according to the organization’s website.