H-E-B donating more than 1.5 million apples

A retailer’s private brand means its reputation as well as the store brand products it sells. Private brands powerhouse H-E-B, ranked America’s most trusted company by the Temkin Group, said it is donating more than 1.5 million apples to Texas food banks to help assuage hunger during the summer, when school-age children living in poverty no longer have access to a free breakfast or lunch. In particular, it can be difficult for financially strapped families to afford fresh produce.

“One in six Texas households struggles to avoid hunger, and during summer break the need for food grows,” said Danny Flores, H-E-B’s public affairs manager, in a statement. “As the state’s largest food retailer, H-E-B is committed to supporting our communities and helping families in need with the necessary resources to avoid hunger this summer.”

Since the chain’s Food Bank Assistance Program began in 1982, H-E-B has donated more than 980 million pounds of food to 5,500 non-profit organizations, the retailer said.