CARES Foundation Commits $200,000 for Local Food Banks

CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF FOOD BANKS CELEBRATES THE SAVE MART COMPANIES CARES FOUNDATION’S COMMITMENT OF $200,000 IN GRANT FUNDING FOR LOCAL FOOD BANKS TO COMBAT FOOD INSECURITY

The 2025 Feeding Forward Grant Invests in Edible Food Recovery Infrastructure

OAKLAND, Calif. – July 15, 2025 – The California Association of Food Banks (CAFB) applauds The Save Mart Companies CARES Foundation (CARES) for its continued efforts to address food insecurity with the dedication of $200,000 in funding for local food banks through its 2025 Feeding Forward Grant. Funding for the Feeding Forward Grant is a matched partnership of $100,000.00 from The Save Mart CARES Foundation and $100,000.00 from The Jim Pattison Foundation. In honor of CARES’ 20^th 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,” explains 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 (written as FoodMaxx) and thousands of food banks and community-based organizations across the state. Investments in this infrastructure, made by philanthropic-minded Organizations and retailers like The Save Mart Companies, ensure that food is safely delivered to our 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 ranging from $20,000 to $200,000. Applications are open until August 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.

ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF FOOD BANKS

Since the California Association of Food Banks (CAFB) formed in 1995, it has grown into a powerful network leading 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. CAFB is a collective force making access to food the standard, not the exception. For more information about CAFB, please visit cafoodbanks.org.

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