Press Release: NBC Bay Area, Telemundo 48, and Safeway Raised Over $4.3 Million for 14th Annual Nourishing Neighbors Holiday Hunger Campaign

Donation Equates to More Than 8.6 Million Meals, Benefiting Bay Area Food Banks

SAN JOSE, CA – January 9, 2024 – NBC Bay Area / KNTV and Telemundo 48 Área de la Bahía / KSTS, in partnership with Safeway, announced today that more than $4.3 million was raised for the 14th Annual Nourishing Neighbors campaign. This holiday hunger campaign addresses food insecurity in the Bay Area.

Taking place from November 18 to December 25, 2023, the campaign spanned 167 Safeway and Andronico's stores across Northern California and will directly support Bay Area Food Banks – a coalition of seven food banks serving 11 Northern California counties, catering to the needs of over 840,000 Bay Area residents each month.

"In collaboration with Safeway, our community has once again showcased its steadfast dedication to addressing food insecurity," said Stacy Owen, President and General Manager of NBC Bay Area and Telemundo 48. "With a remarkable $4.3 million raised, we've been able to provide over 8.6 million meals, underscoring the incredible support and generosity of Safeway, local food banks, and the shoppers who, year after year, stand with us in this crucial initiative. Through the power of community collaboration, we're making a tangible impact, nourishing our neighbors in need and moving our community forward together."

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“We are grateful for the continuous support of our associates and customers for helping nourish our neighbors in need,” said Karl Schroeder, Division President of Safeway Northern California. We are proud to be part of this collaborative effort to help provide meals and replenish supplies for Bay Area food banks. We remain committed to reducing food insecurity, so all our neighbors thrive.”

“Record numbers of neighbors are counting on Bay Area food banks during the holidays and throughout the year as the food insecurity crises stretches on,” said Leslie Bacho, CEO of Second Harvest of Silicon Valley. “Thanks to the long-standing support of the Nourishing Neighbors campaign, and all of the community members who so generously supported it, together we were able to make an immediate impact right here in our own community—providing millions of meals and ensuring that families didn’t have to worry about having empty tables during the holidays.”

Throughout the Nourishing Neighbors campaign, patrons of Safeway and Andronico's stores made $10 contributions by removing a flyer from the tear pads at the registers to facilitate their donations. The accumulated funds will be used to purchase essential food items and distributed to local food banks to assist families facing food insecurity. Last year, the Nourishing Neighbors food drive collected over $4.4 million, providing over 8.9 million meals for those in need.

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About NBC Bay Area / KNTV

Owned by NBCUniversal, NBC Bay Area/KNTV is the Bay Area’s investigative station located in the heart of Silicon Valley. The mission of NBC Bay Area is to reflect the communities it serves and support its viewers through solution-based journalism that moves the community forward. The station addresses the Bay Area’s most pressing issues across all platforms, featuring the Investigative Unit and NBC Bay Area Responds. NBC Bay Area can be seen locally on Comcast 3 and 703 and over-the-air on 11 as well as streaming platforms NBCBayArea.com, Peacock, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube, Samsung TV Plus and Xumo Play.

About Telemundo 48 / KSTS

Telemundo 48 / KSTS is Telemundo’s local television station serving the Spanish-speaking community throughout the Bay Area. Owned by NBCUniversal, the station is committed to providing viewers with braking news and in-depth journalism with their award-winning team of reporters, offering the most up-to-date local news, weather, sports and entertainment headlines through a variety of platforms, including online at TelemundoAreadelaBahia.com and via mobile and social media channels. The station can be seen locally on Comcast 18 and 718 and over-the-air on 48. TeleXitos, the station’s multicast network, offers exciting action and adventure programming in Spanish. TeleXitos can be seen locally on Comcast 194 and 1198 and over-the-air on 48.2.

About Safeway

Safeway is one of the most well-recognized grocery retail brands with a long-standing reputation for quality and service, proudly serving Northern California since 1926. Today, the company operates over 285 stores across Northern California, Nevada, and Hawaii, under four banners, including Andronico’s, Safeway, Pak N’ Save, and Vons. In 2023, the Safeway Northern California Division donated more than 40 million in food and financial support to charitable organizations in the communities it serves. Safeway is a division of Albertsons Companies.

About Bay Area Food Banks

Bay Area Food Banks is a collaboration of independent nonprofit food banks serving northern California counties. Before the COVID-19 outbreak, BAFB collectively served 840,000 adults, seniors and children each month through nearly 1,600 food pantries, children’s programs, shelters, soup kitchens, residential programs, and other emergency food providers.

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MEDIA CONTACTS

NBC Bay Area & Telemundo 48 – Liza Catalan

408-234-9540 liza.catalan@nbcuni.com

Safeway – Wendy Gutshall

925-467-3523 wendy.gutshall@safeway.com

Alameda County Community Food Bank - Mike Altfest

510-635-3663 ext. 330 maltfest@accfb.org