H-E-B own brands drive food bank fundraiser

Buying at least one H-E-B own brand item per trip will enable shoppers to donate money to Texas-area food banks this summer.

The San Antonio-based retailer has launched its Summer of Giving promotion that is aiming to raise $2 million for Feeding Texas and its network of food banks across the state. All shoppers need to do is include at least one product from the H-E-B Brand private label selection in their shopping cart and H-E-B will donate a portion of proceeds from that customer's transaction to the cause.

The campaign runs July 29 through Sept. 8 and shoppers can participate by shopping in stores, online, in the My H-E-B mobile app and viaFavor Delivery. H-E-B’s Central Market, Joe V’s and Mi Tienda locations also are ncluded in the charitable promotion.

The retailer's H-E-B Brand private label portfolio launched in 1992 and includes more than 20,000 items, many of which are made in Texas. Some brands include Café Ole, Creamy Creations, Swoon ice cream, Meal Simple, KODI, Mootopia Milk, Central Market, Select Ingredients and Hill Country Fare.

“Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, the burden on households has grown significantly with more and more families struggling to put food on the table,” said Winell Herron, H-E-B group vice president of public affairs, diversity and environmental affairs. “The H-E-B Summer of Giving initiative is another way we want to show our continued commitment to support food banks and other organizations working to help provide nutritious food to our most vulnerable communities.”

The latest promotion is part of the H-E-B Hunger Relief Program, which works year-round to raise awareness and battle hunger in Texas and Mexico. Last year, the program donated 32 million pounds of food — translates to roughly 25 million meals — to families in need. Additionally, since the program was founded in 1982, H-E-B has donated more than 1 billion pounds of food to 5,500 nonprofit organizations.

Since March, H-E-B has increased its support to Texas food banks during the pandemic, donating more than 300 truckloads of food, which equals 7.5 million pounds of food or 6.2 million meals. At the onset of the crisis, H-E-B gifted nearly $2 million to 18 food banks affiliated with Feeding Texas and organizations, such as Meals on Wheels, that are dedicated to mobilized home feeding services for seniors and low-income families.

Throughout the pandemic, H-E-B noted that food insecurity in Texas has grown to impact 1-in-4 Texas families — up from the 1-in-7 (more than 4 million) Texans that struggled with hunger every year before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.