300 Free Mother's Day Meals Handed Out In Riverside County

RIVERSIDE, CA — Hundreds of Mother's Day meals were distributed ahead of the weekend to Inland Empire families in need thanks to charitable organizations.

The drive-thru distribution event at Feeding America Riverside-San Bernardino Counties was held Friday. Hormel Foods Corporation and the Smart & Final Charitable Foundation donated 300 Hormel Cure 81 half hams to the nonprofit organization. The hams were bagged with a container of rice, two cans of corn, a box of mashed potatoes, a packet of gravy, a six-pack of bottled water and a large bottle of Tejava to create a Mother’s Day meal for recipients.

“Hormel Foods is proud to partner with the Smart & Final Charitable Foundation to support hunger-relief efforts in the communities served by the company’s retail locations,” said Kelsey Tynan, Hormel Cure 81 brand manager at Hormel Foods. “The Hormel Cure 81 Hams for Hunger program highlights our relationship with Smart & Final, and we are honored to work together and make such a substantial contribution for those in need.”

“The Smart & Final Charitable Foundation is committed to our partnership with local food banks to help end food insecurity,” said Tinamarie Squieri, manager, The Smart & Final Charitable Foundation. “We are grateful for the wonderful relationships we have with vendor partners, such as Hormel Foods. By working together, we can combine our efforts towards the same goal to battle hunger relief and to help support local families with their basic needs.”

The Hormel Cure 81 Hams for Hunger program was created in 1989. It involves a partnership between Hormel Foods and grocery retailers across the country. Throughout the years, more than $15 million in hams have been donated, feeding tens of thousands of families. In 2021, the company will donate more than 55,000 hams to charities nationwide through the program, according to Hormel Foods.

Patch has partnered with Feeding America to help raise awareness on behalf of the millions of Americans facing hunger. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks across the country, estimates that in 2021, about 42 million Americans may not have enough nutritious food to eat due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.