Whole Foods Market donates 100th Nourishing Our Neighborhoods refrigerated Van to San Antonio Food Bank

 SAN ANTONIO — Whole Foods Market celebrated the donation of its 100th Nourishing Our Neighborhoods refrigerated van to the San Antonio Food Bank yesterday. The milestone event took place at the Whole Foods Market Vineyard store (18403 Blanco Rd., San Antonio, TX) and included a "Stuff the Van" moment, in which store Team Members filled the vehicle with donated pantry staples and fresh produce before it departed for its new home at the San Antonio Food Bank.

The San Antonio Food Bank serves 29 counties across southwest Texas, feeding over 140,000 people each week. The organization currently rescues food from Whole Foods Market's Vineyard and Quarry locations weekly and redistributes it to community members experiencing food insecurity. The new, refrigerated van will help them continue this important work and safely transport fresh, high-quality food across Southwest Texas.

Launched in 2020, the Nourishing Our Neighborhoods van donation program supports food access efforts in local communities by helping food recovery non-profits across the U.S., U.K. and Canada move food from where it's available to where it's needed. Through the program, Whole Foods Market funds the purchase of all-electric, refrigerated vans and recharging stations for food rescue organizations so that they can safely transport fresh, high-quality food to their communities - a critical but often burdensome aspect of the food rescue and distribution process.

Today's van donation builds on San Antonio Food Bank’s longstanding relationships with both Whole Foods Market and Amazon. Amazon's home delivery program leverages its logistics network to transport meals directly from the food bank to families' doorsteps, at no cost to the recipients or the food bank. The program reaches people who face barriers to visiting traditional food bank sites, including seniors, individuals with limited mobility or disabilities, and families without reliable transportation.

In addition to the van donation, Whole Foods Market’s Vineyard and Quarry stores volunteer with the food bank throughout the year, provide in-kind donations upon request and have awarded monetary grants through the Store Giving program.