Summer Collection Drive helps Re-stock Depleted Food Stores

Wells Fargo’s Arizona team members collected 116,787 pounds of food during the company’s summer food drive July 1 to 15.  The amount collected marks a 94 percent increase over the 60,213 pounds collected in Wells Fargo’s 2007 food drive.

From July 1 to 15, food collection bins were placed in Wells Fargo Community Banking, Mortgage and Finance stores and the company’s processing and operations facilities throughout the state.

Donations collected by the Wells Fargo food drive benefited members of the Association of Arizona Food Banks.  Association members distribute more than 80 million pounds of food each year, enough to provide 168,600 meals every day through 1,100 sites.  People who wish to donate cash can send checks to the Association of Arizona Food Banks, 2100 N. Central Ave., Ste. 230, Phoenix, AZ 85004.  Donations also may be made online at http://www.azfoodbanks.org/?action=gid_62.

“We’re so proud of our Arizona team members for reaching out to help their communities and nearly doubling the amount collected during our first summer drive last year,” said Pam Conboy, regional president for Wells Fargo Regional Banking in Arizona.  “Team members staged contests to see which group could collect the most, scoured newspaper grocery store ads for coupons to stretch their donations and held fundraisers throughout the drive.  As a result of their dedication, we’re helping to fill the shelves of community food banks all over the state.

“We know the need is great,” Conboy added.  “The statistics are sobering:  14.2 percent of Arizona adults, one in 12 seniors and one in five children live in poverty.  And every fourth person in line at a soup kitchen is a child.  We know that for our company to prosper, the communities we serve also must prosper – and we’re committed to doing all we can to make that happen.  That’s why our Wells Fargo team members statewide supported this campaign.”

In Arizona, Wells Fargo has 14,000 team members and 260 stores.   Wells Fargo & Company is a diversified financial services company with $609 billion in assets, providing banking, insurance, investments, mortgage and consumer finance through almost 6,000 stores and the internet (wellsfargo.com) across North America and elsewhere internationally. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. is the only bank in the United States, and one of only two banks worldwide, to have the highest possible credit rating from both Moody’s Investors Service, “Aaa,” and Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, “AAA.”

Community Food Banks Receiving Donations from local Wells Fargo Store Teams

The Valley and nearby cities:

• St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance

• United Food Bank

• Desert Mission Food Bank

• St. Anthony’s St. Vincent de Paul (Casa Grande/Maricopa)

• Wickenburg Food Pantry

River Cities and Yuma:

• HELP Organization of Bullhead City

• Kingman Area Food Bank

• Lake Havasu Community Food

• Yuma Food Bank (Yuma/Parker)

Central and Eastern Arizona:

• Bread of Life Missions (Camp Verde)

• United Food Bank (Coolidge)

• Old Town Mission (Cottonwood)

• Food Bank of Payson

• Love Kitchen, Inc. (Pinetop)

• Yavapai Food Bank (Prescott area)

• Sedona Community Food Bank

• Shepherd’s Kitchen Food Bank (Snowflake)

• Whiteriver Assembly of God

Tucson and Southern Arizona:

• Community Food Bank (Tucson area)

• Marana Food Bank (Marana/Oro Valley)

• Douglas Area Food Bank

• Gila Community Food Bank (Globe)

• Green Valley Community Food Bank

• Borderland Food Bank (Nogales/Rio Rico)

• St. Vincent de Paul Community Food Bank (Sierra Vista)

Northern Arizona:

• St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance (Flagstaff)

• Talbot House (Chinle/Window Rock)

• Holbrook Emergency Food Service

• St. Jude Food Bank (Tuba City and Kayenta)