The California Association of Food Banks (CAFB) has issued its thanks to The Save Mart Companies CARES Foundation (CARES) for its continued efforts to address food insecurity with the dedication of $200,000 for local food banks through its 2025 Feeding Forward Grant.
Funding for the Feeding Forward Grant is a matched partnership of $100,000 from The Save Mart CARES Foundation and $100,000 from The Jim Pattison Foundation. In honor of CARES’ 20th anniversary of giving, this year’s funding will provide critical infrastructure for California’s food safety net by offering grants for infrastructure related to food insecurity organizations including cold storage, refrigerated vehicles, warehouse improvements, forklifts, and equipment to food banks and community pantries, as they work to expand food recovery operations in alignment with California’s SB 1383 regulations.
“Last year, for the second year in a row, food banks served over 6 million people a month, a demand that was similar to the pandemic years, but with less food and funding than was available during the pandemic,” explained Stacia Levenfeld, CEO of California Association of Food Banks. “Save Mart was one of the first companies to donate their excess retail food to grocery stores many years back, and we are thrilled that their foundation is the first to offer funding to ensure that this food reaches the neighborhoods they serve. The Feeding Forward Grant will support food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens, and community service organizations by providing critical resources to ensure that recovered food gets into the hands of those who need it most.”
Over a quarter of the food distributed by food banks last year was recovered from local retailers and wholesalers. This is possible through partnerships between stores like Save Mart, Lucky, and FoodMaxx and thousands of food banks and community-based organizations across the state. Investments in this infrastructure, made by organizations and retailers like The Save Mart Companies, ensure that food is safely delivered to local communities.
“Our community food banks and local food pantries play an invaluable role in strengthening food security,” said Joan Dobias-Davis, board chair of The Save Mart Companies CARES Foundation. “The Feeding Forward Grant supports their important work and helps to ensure that the food our stores donate reaches families and individuals experiencing hunger in the communities we serve.”
Nonprofit organizations addressing food insecurity in The Save Mart Companies’ service area can apply for Feeding Forward grants. Applications are open until Aug. 11, 2025, and must be submitted using the Feeding Forward process in the grant application. Visit https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=savemart to apply.
The California Association of Food Banks (CAFB) was formed in 1995, and now helps lead the fight against hunger in California with a shared belief that access to food is a fundamental right. CAFB partners with more than 40 food banks and 6,000 community-based organizations in a common mission: to end hunger. For more information about CAFB, visit cafoodbanks.org.
