DONATION OF NEW STORAGE FREEZERS TO HELP 21 COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND FOOD PANTRIES THROUGHOUT REGION

1st Source Servall donates 27 large food storage freezers to 21 local organizations that provide services to some of the community’s most in need residents

SAN ANTONIO, TX –1st Source Servall, one of North America’s largest distributors of appliance parts with operations and a regional distribution center in San Antonio, today announced the company donated 27 new, high efficient Frigidaire large chest freezers to charitable organizations who partner with the San Antonio Food Bank.  The organizations provide services and food assistance programs to some of the most vulnerable populations in the community. 

Among the 21 organizations receiving one or two new freezers from 1^st Source Servall and its employees include: Bavarian Manor Apartments Food Pantry, Christian Assistance Ministry, Ella Austin, Emmanuel Presbyterian Church, Gardendale Community Center, Good Shepherd Catholic Church and Immaculate Conception, Holy Redeemer, Jubilee Outreach, Madonna Neighborhood Center, Medina Children's Home, Northwest Church of Christ, San Antonio Family Endeavors, San Antonio School for Inquiry and Creativity, San Antonio Time Dollar, Santa Fe Episcopal, Spring Branch Baptist Church, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, St. Vincent de Paul Mission Espada, St. Vincent de Paul Sacred Heart Von Ormy, Texas Foundation of Hope, West Avenue Compassion. In total, these San Antonio Food Bank partner agencies provide food assistance programs to more than 3,500 families a month.

1^st Source Servall teamed up with the San Antonio Food Bank, which serves a 16 county region in Southwest Texas, to determine what appliances were most needed among the more than 525 charitable organizations that serve 58,000 individuals on a weekly basis.  The number one item identified were storage freezers as more frozen storage capacity will allow these agencies to offer a better variety of perishable items to families seeking food assistance. This donation will allow the chosen partner agencies to be able to access more frozen items that the San Antonio Food Bank has to offer on a regular basis, many of which provide better nutritional value such as frozen produce and high protein items, such as lean chicken and fish.  The organizations receiving the freezer donation were selected by the San Antonio Food Bank because they have the greatest need for additional food storage based on their current kitchen appliance inventory and the number of families individuals in need that they service.

Frigidaire freezer chests are one of the most reputable and durable products on the market as well as being Energy Star certified, helping the beneficiaries keep their utility costs to a minimum and lessen their impact on the environment. The large freezer chests are 14.8 cubic feet and hold up to 518 lbs. of frozen food.  The donation of freezers also comes at an opportune time because the extreme heat during the summer months in Southwest Texas results in a greater need for temperature controlled food storage and freezing.

“It is essential that our partner agencies have the storage needed for the nutritious food that the citizens struggling with hunger need,” shared Eric S. Cooper, San Antonio Food Bank President and CEO. “We are grateful to organizations such as 1^st Source Servall who are stepping up to help in the fight against hunger to provide freezers so that our agency partners can have the storage for much needed protein and frozen produce.”

“We have a deep rooted philosophy of being a good corporate citizen and giving back to the communities we do business in and this donation is just a small token of our gratitude to these amazing organizations that provide so much for those who are less fortunate,” said Kim Adler, president and CEO,1st Source Servall.  “All of our employees are extremely honored to be able to help these amazing organizations in their efforts to make the San Antonio community a better place to live. We would also like to thank the San Antonio Food Bank and its hard-working staff for all of their help in identifying the agencies that will benefit most from the donation of these high quality products.”

“Oh, bless 1^st Source Servall and the San Antonio Food Bank for  all of this unbelievable kindness! This donation will be such a great addition to our food pantry operation and will allow us to offer better nutritional options to the residents and families we service, and expand to help additional people,” said Jacki Hatmaker, Spring Branch Baptist Church.

“We can’t thank 1st Source Servall enough for their generous donation,” said Yolanda Montoya, Madonna Neighborhood Center. “As an organization that depends on charitable donations this gift could not have come at a better time, because due to the economy our funding has been scarce and we were in dire need of new appliances to help feed the people that depend on our food pantry.”

“Thank you so much, 1^st Source Servall, you have no idea how much this donation is going to help us better serve the hundreds of families that turn to us for assistance,” said Adela Carrizales, Emmanuel Presbyterian Church.

1st Source Servall, which has a store and regional distribution center in San Antonio located at 101 E. Nakoma, has been expanding its operations and facilities throughout the United States over the past two-and-a-half. 1^st Source Servall has been servicing the greater San Antonio region for more than 50 years, and its local store is one of 12 locations in Texas. The company currently has 51 locations throughout the United States.

###

About 1st Source Servall

Founded in 1929, 1st Source Servall is a third-generation family-owned and operated distributor of appliance parts. With branch offices and call centers located throughout the Midwest, Southwest, Southeast and Northeast, 1st Source Servall is the country's second-largest distributor of appliance parts. For more information about 1^st Source Servall, please visit www.1stservall.com or Facebook.com/1stsourceservall.

About San Antonio Food Bank
The San Antonio Food Bank is a 501c3 non-profit organization providing millions of pounds of food to over 500 charitable organizations in Southwest Texas serving those in need. In addition to food distribution, the San Antonio Food Bank provides numerous programs that not only solve the immediate problems of hunger, but help individuals and families gain long-term food security. For more information about the San Antonio Food Bank, visit our website at www.safoodbank.org. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/safoodbank or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/safoodbank.

About the Organizations:

·         Bavarian Manor Apartments Food Pantry (New Braunfels), Sponsored by Housing and Community Service, is the pantry at Bavarian Manor, which provides much needed food assistance services to qualified families living in the apartments on the property. Provides food assistance to more than 25 economically disadvantaged families a month.

·         Christian Assistance Ministry (San Antonio, Downtown) has served the San Antonio community for more than 35 years, providing help to close of 50,000 people annually. It has the support of over 70 member churches and 300 volunteers annually who make it possible for them to serve the community’s most in need. Serves 500 economically disadvantaged families monthly.

·         Ella Austin (San Antonio, East Side) is a neighborhood-cased, multi-social service, non-profit agency that provides assistance to a broad area of human needs. They offer a variety of food assistance programs to serve all generations. Serves 88 economically disadvantaged families monthly.

·         Emmanuel Presbyterian (San Antonio, Southside) provides a weekly week food assistance program for both individuals and families. Serves 239 economically disadvantaged monthly.

·         Gardendale Community Center (San Antonio, Eastside) provides food resources to seniors of their community with a daily nutritional meal program and offers a weekly food assistance program to both seniors and families in East Bexar County. Provides food assistance to 69 economically disadvantaged families a month.

·         Good Shepherd Catholic Church and Immaculate Conception  service both the Schertz and Marion communities, both of which have many in residents in need and there are not many available resources. The churches provide food assistance programs to all that are in need. Provides food assistance to 88 economically disadvantaged families a month.

·         Holy Redeemer (San Antonio, East Side) has provided service to its community for more than 20 years and partners with local schools, other parishes and a housing development to provide food assistance to more than 300 families a month. The church provides food assistance programs to those in need.

·         Jubilee Outreach is a church located on the Southeast Side of San Antonio that has been operating a food pantry to the area residents for more than seven years. Provides food assistance to 32 economically disadvantaged families a month, as well as 112 individuals.

·         Madonna Neighborhood Center (San Antonio, Westside) is located in one of the more economically challenged communities on the West Side of San Antonio. The center strives to promote family self-sufficiency and empower people to achieve their full potential.  The center provides various food assistance programs for the community. Provides food assistance to 160 economically disadvantaged families a month.

·         Medina Children's (Medina) home is located in a remote rural area of Bandera County and provides single-parent families and at risk youth the opportunity to overcome cycles of poverty and abuse.  The home also provides nutritional meals to families in need. Provides food assistance to 60 economically disadvantaged families a month.

·         Northwest Church of Christ (San Antonio, Northwest Side) is a benevolence ministry that provides much needed help and resources to San Antonio area families and individuals, including food and meal assistance.  Provides food assistance to 285 economically disadvantaged families a month.

·         San Antonio Family Endeavors (San Antonio, West Side) offers ongoing, year round support to low income homeless adults with significant disabilities. The agency offers a variety of wraparound services to ensure the individuals and their family’s needs are met, including nutritional needs. Provides food assistance to 20 economically disadvantaged families a month.

·         San Antonio School for Inquiry and Creativity (San Antonio, Northcentral) is a free tuition arts-infused Public Charter School located at 4616 San Pedro San Antonio focusing on the importance of all art based endeavors to encourage a lifelong passion of learning, pursuing creative college and career paths; instilling in the individual a humble sense of giving back to the community is everyone's responsibility. The school is in the process of expanding their food pantry services. Provides food assistance to 616 economically disadvantaged families a month.

·         Time Dollar (San Antonio, West Side)provides a welcoming environment by treating their customers with respect and dignity, not only providing a box of food but forming sincere relationships with their community members. Provides food assistance to 616 economically disadvantaged families a month.

·         Santa Fe Episcopal (San Antonio, Southwest Side) has been in existence since 1950 and provides food assistance programs to mainly elderly residents in need, but the church is currently in the process of providing more residents this much needed service. Provides food assistance to 220 economically disadvantaged families a month.

·         Spring Branch Baptist Church (Spring Branch) opened its doors to its food pantry less than three months ago and every day they see several new faces. Serving a rural area with limited options for public transportation, the church provides residents one of the only choice food pantry for the area, that provides a choice of the foods they need and will use.  Provides food assistance to 27 economically disadvantaged families a month.

·         St. Andrew's (San Antonio, Northwest Side) has been a San Antonio Food Bank partner since 1989, and is one of the few agencies that is open in the evenings for people to access food assistance. Agency lost all of their freezers when their pantry, was flooded last October and hopes to regain their ability to provide the level of service their clients have been accustomed. Provides food assistance to 78 economically disadvantaged families and 234 individuals a month.

·         St. Vincent de Paul: Mission Espada (San Antonio, Southeast Side provides food assistance to economically stressed families twice a week and is known throughout the community as a place that will always be there for those in need. Provides food assistance to 75 economically disadvantaged families a month.

·         St. Vincent de Paul: Mission Sacred Heart of Von Ormy (Von Ormy) serves not just the people of Von Ormy, but welcomes and continually serves all those individuals of the surrounding communities of Somerset & Lytle and Poteet. They serve more than 95 families meals weekly through their humble building measuring only 288 sq ft.

·         Texas Foundation of Hope (San Antonio, North Side) is a non-profit founded to serve young adults with special needs. They have found a perfect means of  bridging their services by having those same young adults participate in the distribution of food assistance to families and individuals in need and teaching them the meaning and value of community service. Provides food assistance to 221 economically disadvantaged families a month.

·         West Avenue Compassion (San Antonio, North Side) is a multi-service organization that services all generations of their community by providing emergency food pantry services weekly, monthly senior food assistance and during the summer months hosting a Summer Food Service Program site to provide free breakfast and lunch to area children that depend upon the school lunch program. Provides food assistance to 623 economically disadvantaged families a month.