Cheddar’s teams up with hunger program
According to Feeding America, one in eight Americans is hungry or at risk of hunger.
That’s just one of the reasons Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen has kicked off a donation program to fight hunger in the local community by joining forces with Food Rescue US.
The restaurant in Albuquerque now donates wholesome, surplus food to the nonprofit weekly as part of its new Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Harvest program.
“Hunger is a community issue, and at Cheddar’s, we’re in a strong position to make an impact in our local community,” said Salomon Tristan, managing partner of the Albuquerque location. “Our scratch cooking philosophy means that we always have fresh ingredients on hand and can donate excess when available. Our team takes tremendous pride in helping our neighbors in need through our partnership with Food Rescue US.”
Each week, the restaurant donates surplus food directly from its in-house scratch kitchen. Donated items are a combination of fresh ingredients, such as vegetables and proteins, and handcrafted dishes, such as soups, sauces, casseroles and pasta.
All of Darden Restaurants’ 1,700
locations nationwide participate in the Harvest food donation program. Together, the family of brands has donated more than 100 million pounds of food — or 83.3 million meals — to nonprofits nationwide. As of this spring, the program has been implemented in more than 150 Cheddar’s kitchens nationwide.
But the support goes beyond food donations. Darden Foundation, the charitable arm of Darden Restaurants, is donating $157,000 on behalf of Cheddar’s restaurants nationwide. The money will benefit 83 food banks.
For more information, visit www.Cheddars.com .
Credit union aids kids’ shoe drive
This month, Kirtland Federal Credit Union donated $10,000 to the Assistance League of Albuquerque as part of the KRQE Cares Shoes for Kids program. The Kirtland employee team also participated in a phone drive and raised an
additional $9,000 for the program. The money will be used to buy new athletic shoes for students from schools throughout the Albuquerque metro.
“The KRQE Cares Shoes for Kids drive really speaks to the heart of our mission to support Albuquerque’s families,” said Tom Shoemaker, president/CEO of Kirtland Federal Credit Union. “A new pair of shoes can boost a child’s confidence and really bring peace of mind to a parent.”
The fundraising shoe drive continues through August. People can buy a pair of shoes at any Albuquerque Payless ShoeSource store at a discount of 15 percent and/or they can drop off new shoes at any Kirtland Federal Credit Union branch, the KRQE News 13 studio or at any Payless ShoeSource store.
Established in 1958, Kirtland Federal Credit Union has assets approaching $800 million. It serves nearly 48,000 members from four branches in Albuquerque.