TD Charitable Foundation Replenishes Food Banks and Helps Fight Hunger with $680,000 Donation

After the first of the year food bank shelves and pantries are often bare from the large volume of requests that occur during the holiday season. The TD Charitable Foundation is helping replenish these shelves by donating a total of $680,000 to 32 food banks in support of families throughout the TD Bank footprint from Maine to Florida. Food banks across the region reported a 30 percent increase in demand for 2009 compared to 2008. A $25,000 donation is equivalent to 100,000 meals.

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In January, local TD Bank executives presented the following 32 food banks with donations to address the needs of their communities that are faced with an unprecedented surge in requests for food assistance.

The organizations and the total grants per market, include:

Connecticut: $25,000 total donated to Friendly Hands Food Bank, Inc.; Town of Colchester for the benefit of Colchester Business Association/Food Partnership Program; Connecticut Food Bank, Inc.
Delaware: $50,000 total donated to Food Bank of Delaware, Inc.
District of Columbia: $30,000 total donated to Capital Area Food Bank.
Florida: $32,500 total donated to Jewish Federation of Broward County for the benefit of the W.E.C.A.R.E Food Pantry; Feeding South Florida, Inc.
Massachusetts: $25,000 total donated to Lower Cape Outreach Council, Inc. for the benefit of its Centralized Food Storage Expansion; Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Inc.; Self Help, Inc.
Maine: $72,000 total donated to Good Shepherd Food Bank, Inc.; Preble Street Resource Center.
Maryland: $30,000 total donated to Maryland Food Bank, Inc.
New Hampshire: $70,000 total donated to New Hampshire Food Bank, Inc.; Seacoast Family Food Pantry, Inc.
New Jersey: $105,000 total donated to Community Food Bank of New Jersey, Inc.; Mercer Street Friends Center; Jewish Family & Vocational Service of Middlesex County, Inc. for the benefit of its Essential Needs Food Pantry.; Center for Vocational Rehabilitation Inc. for the benefit of its Eatontown Food CO-OP; Northwest New Jersey Community Action Program, Inc.
New York: $95,000 total donated to Columbia Opportunities Inc.; Food Bank for New York City; Food Bank of the Hudson Valley; Help from People to People, Inc. for the benefit of its People to People Food Pantry; The Queens Galley; The Salvation Army
Pennsylvania: $60,000 total donated to Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley, Inc. for the benefit of its Second Harvest Food Bank; Philabundance
Vermont: $55,000 total donated to Vermont Foodbank, Inc.
Virginia: $30,000 total donated to Food for Others, Inc.
"The TD Charitable Foundation is committed to making a difference and supporting the basic needs of our communities," said Elizabeth Warn, president of TD Charitable Foundation and executive vice president of community development for TD Bank. "We offer our help with the hope that no one goes hungry anytime of year."

A staunch commitment to active involvement in the local community is a vital element of the TD Bank philosophy. TD Bank provides financial and other support to affordable housing initiatives, financial literacy and education, and the environment, many of which focus on improving the welfare of children and families.