LOS ANGELES, Sept. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Supermarket partners Ralphs and Food 4 Less today announced that they have combined to donate more than 13 million meals from fresh meat, produce, dairy and bakery items to Southern California Feeding America food banks since 2008 through their groundbreaking Perishable Donations Partnership.

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The program has also enabled Ralphs and Food 4 Less to divert more than 10,000 tons of waste away from landfills.

Ralphs and Food 4 Less have been engaged in the hunger relief effort for more than 25 years. Today, Ralphs and Food 4 Less have longstanding relationships with seven feeding America food banks in Southern California.

"Feeding the hungry is at the heart of our community engagement programs," said Kendra Doyel, Senior Manager, Public Affairs for Ralphs and Food 4 Less. "Our Ralphs and Food 4 Less stores are committed to helping families put fresh, wholesome food on their tables every day."

Perishable donations have steadily increased as a share of Ralphs and Food 4 Less' total contributions to food banks. In 2012 alone, Ralphs and Food 4 Less combined to donate more than 5.7 million pounds of fresh perishable product – the equivalent of 5 million meals or 100,000 meals every week – though their Perishable Donations Partnership. This was up from 23,000 pounds of perishable product – the equivalent of 16,600 meals – donated in 2008.

The Perishable Donations Partnership program at Ralphs and Food 4 Less depends on store associates taking the time every day to identify meat, produce, dairy and bakery items that can no longer be sold yet remain safe, fresh and nutritious supplements to dry goods donations to food banks.

Feeding America food banks benefiting from the Perishable Donations Partnership program include: Feeding America San Diego; FIND Food Bank (Indio); Food Bank of Santa Barbara County; Food Share (Oxnard); Los Angeles Regional Foodbank; Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County; and Second Harvest Food Bank Serving Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.

About RalphsRalphs Grocery Company was founded in 1873 and currently operates 231 supermarkets from its headquarters in Los Angeles. Last year, Ralphs contributed more than $6 million to support education, hunger relief, women's health and local nonprofit organizations in the communities served by the company's stores. Ralphs is a subsidiary of The Kroger Co., (NYSE: KR), one of the nation's largest food retailers, based in Cincinnati, Ohio. For more about Ralphs, please visit our web site at www.ralphs.com.

About Food 4 LessHeadquartered in Los Angeles, Food 4 Less operates 146 price-impact, warehouse-format supermarkets under the banners Food 4 Less in Southern California, Nevada, Illinois and Indiana, and Foods Co in Central and Northern California. Last year, Food 4 Less and Foods Co combined to contribute more than $4 million to support education, hunger relief, women's health and local nonprofit organizations. Food 4 Less is a subsidiary of The Kroger Co., (NYSE: KR), one of the nation's largest grocery retailers, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. For more information about Food 4 Less, please visit our website at www.food4less.com.

SOURCE Ralphs/Food 4 Less

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