The Dot Foods California distribution center just outside of Ceres on Nickerson Way made a major donation to area food pantries through its Neighbor-to-Neighbor program to help fight hunger. The distribution center invited six local food pantries to select $5,000 worth of products from Dot’s inventory for a combined donation of $30,000 worth of food.

Recipients also included the St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. Jude’s Catholic Church in Ceres, Wings of Healing shelter in Stockton, St. Vincent de Paul Society food banks in Modesto and Manteca, Oak Valley Hospital in Oakdale, and the New Life Christian Center in Turlock.

Each food pantry selected products that best address specific needs. Dot volunteers will helped the food pantry staff and volunteers in receiving and unloading their donations.

Since March 2020, Dot Foods, Inc, the largest food industry redistributor in North America, has donated $21.4 million worth of food to organizations across the country. Dot’s charitable work always starts at home, donating to local food pantries and schools. As the pandemic continued, the company also looked at ways to expand its reach and partnered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to identify disaster relief agencies across the U.S. that were looking for food donations.

“We saw a great need to quickly help communities around the country struggling with putting food on their tables, due to loss of jobs and the effect of the global pandemic,” said Suzy Parn, the head of Dot’s corporate charitable program. “By partnering with FEMA, Dot was able to move a lot of product that our local partners could not use. We are excited to continue that work, as well as reinstate the important Neighbor-to-Neighbor program that helps food pantries in all the communities Dot calls home.”