August 24, 2018– Today the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank announced a $24,000 grant from The Darden Foundation which will support their efforts to provide food assistance for people facing hunger. The generous, unrestricted grant will allow the Food Bank to allocate funds to meet the most urgent needs in the community, such as providing groceries for vulnerable seniors and backpacks of food for at-risk children to get them through the weekend when school, meals are not available.

“One in seven people struggles with hunger in Los Angeles County, including one in four children,” said Michael Flood, the Food Bank’s President and CEO. “Hunger does not discriminate and there are many children, families and seniors who turn to our food bank for help. The Darden Foundation’s donation will go a long way for the people in our community.”

The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank provides healthy food for more than 300,000 people each month throughout Los Angeles County, which has the largest population of food-insecure individuals of any county in the nation. Almost a quarter of the people the Food Bank serves are children and nearly one fifth are seniors.

The Darden Foundation’s donation will help the Food Bank achieve their mission by contributing to the fund that allows them to source, acquire and distribute millions of pounds of food through a network of over 650 partner agencies across Los Angeles County.

The Darden Foundation is committed to supporting families facing food insecurity in communities across the United States. Their dedication is apparent through their partnership with Feeding America and their network of 200 food banks across the nation. Locally, restaurants in the Darden Restaurant family have supported the Food Bank through direct financial contributions and employee volunteer efforts.

Feeding America has worked alongside The Darden Foundation for six years in the fight to end hunger. Thanks to their ongoing support, the Feeding America network has been able to help provide even more nutritious meals to families in need.

To learn more about Feeding America or to find your local food bank, visit www.feedingamerica.org.

About Darden Restaurants and The Darden Foundation

Darden is a restaurant company featuring a portfolio of differentiated brands that include Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Yard House, The Capital Grille, Seasons 52, Bahama Breeze and Eddie V’s. Our people equal our success, and we are proud to employ 180,000 team members in more than 1,700 restaurants. Together, we create memorable experiences for 380 million guests each year in communities across North America. The Darden Foundation works to bring to life our spirit of service through its philanthropic support of charitable organizations across the country. Since 1995, The Darden Foundation has awarded more than $90 million in grants to non-profit organizations such as Feeding America, National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) and American Red Cross. For more information, please visit www.darden.com.