FOOD Share CEO Chosen for Tournament of Roses Parade

FOOD Share of Ventura County President and CEO, Bonnie Atmore, has been selected by Dole Packaged Foods to represent the regional food bank and national hunger relief network, Feeding America, in the 128th Tournament of Roses Parade as part of Dole’s float, “Spirit of Hawaii.”

Taking place on Monday January 2, 2017, this year’s Rose Parade theme is “Echoes of Success;” a tribute to the selfless contributions of individuals, cooperatives, and institutions that work to elevate communities and contribute to the advancement of others. 

FOOD Share’s commitment to solving hunger and Atmore’s leadership at the regional and national levels made her the ideal candidate when Dole began the search for an individual who embodies the charitable values of its organization and the essence of the Rose Parade theme.  Under Atmore’s guidance, FOOD Share has not only grown to serve 10 million meals annually across Ventura County, but has also developed a number of initiatives designed to “shorten the line” and stabilize vulnerable families as the first step toward building self-sufficiency.   

“Dole and FOOD Share have developed a unique partnership to alleviate hunger in Ventura County,” said Dave Spare, Vice President of Marketing, Dole Packaged Foods.  “As a provider of healthy, convenient packaged fruits and healthy snacks that are affordable and accessible to all, we share FOOD Share’s commitment to making nourishing food and effective nutrition education available to everyone.  We are proud to have Bonnie and the FOOD Share organization represented on our Rose Parade float as we further our commitment to helping people live long and healthy lives.” 

Last year, FOOD Share depleted its reserves in order to keep its commitment to feeding the 1 in 6 Ventura County residents who is still food insecure.  To restock its warehouse shelves and rebuild its capital resources, the regional food bank urgently needs the support of the community to raise $5 million and collect 200,000 pounds of food by the end of the holiday season.  Doing so will allow FOOD Share to serve the 13 million meals that will be needed across Ventura County in the upcoming year. 

“As we move into this most critical time of year, we are so grateful for the dedicated partnership of Dole Packaged Foods and the incredible platform they have afforded us through the Tournament of Roses Parade,” said Bonnie Atmore, FOOD Share President & CEO.  “Our team will be working diligently to leverage this opportunity to ensure that we have the cash reserves and other resources we need to meet our operating and service goals this year.  Together, we are working to solve hunger!”       

About FOOD Share:

More than 35 years ago, eight citizens performed a good deed by distributing food to those who were in need underneath a Ventura bridge. The early philanthropic movement quickly formed into what is now Ventura County’s regional food bank, FOOD Share, which has grown from serving a few hundred hungry people per month to 74,500 people. Today, staff and volunteers distribute more than 12 million pounds of food, or 10 million meals annually from its distribution site; more than 180 partner agencies, which include neighborhood and church food distributions and soup kitchens; as well as hunger assistance programs. FOOD Share’s programs provide healthy nutrition and education to children, families and seniors, which include: KIDS’ Farmers’ Market, SENIOR Share, Nutrition Education, Community Market, and more.  The regional food bank’s Feed the Line, Shorten the Line efforts draw together community stakeholders and other non-profit and community service organizations through programs such as Our Voice and the FOOD Share and Friends Mobile Pantry to provide county-wide access to resources that facilitate self-sustainability.  A 501(c)3 non-profit organization, FOOD Share is a member of the Feeding America network, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization.

In 2016, FOOD Share is rallying the community behind a viral initiative encouraging the public, local businesses, major corporations and community leaders and stakeholders to help combat hunger through an outreach campaign called Share16. The Share16 Challenge asks the community to share ways in which they support FOOD Share by documenting their experiences and efforts on social media with the #Share16 hashtag.

For more information about FOOD Share, visit www.foodshare.com. Find us on Facebook , Instagram, and Twitter.

About Dole Packaged Foods

Dole Packaged Foods LLC is a world leader in growing, sourcing, distributing and marketing fruit and healthy snacks. Dole sells a full-line of packaged ambient fruit, frozen fruit, dried fruit, and juices. The company focuses on four pillars of sustainability in all its operations: water management, carbon footprint, soil conservation and packaging. For more information please visit www.dolesunshine.com or www.doleintlcsr.com.

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Interview Contacts:

Bonnie Atmore

CEO, FOOD Share

805-983-7100 x111

batmore@foodshare.com

Media Inquiries:

Consortium Media

Briana@consortium-media.com

Briana Kallas, 805-654-1564 ext. 117