Safelite AutoGlass® Volunteers Plant Garden at Corporate Headquarters to Support Mid-Ohio Foodback
COLUMBUS, Ohio – May 15, 2013 - Volunteers from Safelite AutoGlass®, the nation’s largest provider of vehicle glass repair and replacement services, recently planted a garden outside its headquarters off of I-270 and Sawmill Road with the goal of donating all the crops from the garden to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank.
This is the second year employees volunteered their time to plant and harvest the garden. Last year, volunteers harvested more than 1,000 pounds of fresh produce – including zucchinis, green beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant, and squash. This year, the team doubled the size of the garden and added one plot of fresh herbs to enhance the cooking of the vegetables. The goal is to donate one ton of fresh produce to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank in 2013.
Safelite AutoGlass® has been a long-time supporter of the Mid-Ohio Foodbank – approximately 18 years – and continues to find creative ways to support the nonprofit.
In addition to the garden, the company holds an annual water balloon toss and hot dog sale every summer (as part of its Operation Feed campaign) as well as a canned food drive and donation collections to purchase turkeys for families in need during the holiday season.
Last year, the Mid-Ohio Foodbank also received a Safelite® Impact Grant worth $25,000 to build an on-site food pantry fully stocked and ready for service in times of individual emergencies.
“We are incredibly grateful for our growing partnership with Safelite®. The company’s commitment to help the Foodbank provide fresh, nutritious food goes a long way in helping us realize our vision for a hunger-free and healthier community. The produce provided by the Safelite® garden will go to the pantries in our neighborhoods dedicated to feeding the hungry,” said Matt Habash, president and CEO of the Mid-Ohio Foodbank. “With more than 50 percent of our inventory in fresh food, Safelite is providing amazing support in helping the Foodbank advance its work to end hunger, one nourishing meal at a time. We appreciate the hard work, sweat and passion from all the associates at Safelite® to help those in our community struggling with hunger.”
About Safelite AutoGlass®
Safelite AutoGlass®, founded in 1947, is the nation’s leading provider of vehicle glass repair and replacement services, providing mobile service to more than 95 percent of the U.S. population in all 50 states. The Columbus, Ohio-based company employs nearly 10,000 people across the United States and serves more than 4.1 million customers annually. For more information, visit www.safelite.com.
About Mid-Ohio Foodbank
Mid-Ohio Foodbank provides food to hundreds of thousands of our hungry neighbors each year by partnering with more than 550 emergency feeding sites across 20 counties in central and eastern Ohio.
For 32 years, the Foodbank has joined food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, senior centers, and after-school programs to make food accessible to those in our communities who are hungry. In 2012, the
Foodbank distributed more than 46 million pounds of food and grocery products, enabling its partner charities to provide more than 101,700 meals every day. Mid-Ohio Foodbank is a member of Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief charity. For more information or to donate, visit www.midohiofoodbank.org/.