How General Mills' Hometown Heroes Help Those Facing Hunger in Their Communities

The past few months, 25 Convenience and Foodservice employee teams at General Mills  have worked in groups to volunteer for their local Feeding America food bank, and surprise them with $5,000 grants from the General Mills Foundation. From the Food Bank of Iowa to Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, a total of $125,000 was provided across the country to help those facing hunger in General Mills’ hometown communities through the C&F Hometown Heroes program.

Allison Smith, Convenience and Foodservice Business Management Associate and her team of eight colleagues from the New England area who made up Team Nor’easter supported the New Hampshire Foodbank by chopping 140 pounds of carrots and potatoes, and cooking 620 pounds of beef and pork. The food they prepared provided 1,560 meals for those facing hunger in the community.

“It’s important for C&F to support our local food banks, as food is the focal point of our business,” says Allison. “We are fortunate to not worry about where our next meal will come from, when so many people do.”

“This experience was incredibly rewarding for the whole team. I feel grateful that I work for a company that supports and actively encourages employees to give back to their communities with what we know best: serving the world by making food people love.”

Our Golden State Heroes team volunteered at Placer Food Bank in Roseville, California to package 300 bags with food and snacks for the students and families of First Street Elementary. 

“Just before we provided the surprise donation to Placer Food Bank, we learned they were short of their goal to collect 6,000 turkeys for their Thanksgiving Turkey Drive,” says Teanakia DeOcampo, C&F Account Executive. “Giving them a check for $5,000 felt like a miracle, as it gave them the funds needed to reach their goal and provide Thanksgiving meals to families in need!”

Our Denver team supported Food Bank of the Rockies by packing 680 boxes containing 23,100 pounds of food. That’s over 19,000 meals!

Our DFW Hometown Heroes team volunteered at the North Texas Food Bank to sort 24 pallets, which totaled 14,000 pounds of food and 11,667 meals for families in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

“Hometown Heroes is a terrific example of a simple program that drives a whole lot of good,” says Nicola Dixon, executive director of the General Mills Foundation. “It serves to bring together field-based employees in a way that builds teams and provides a fun and meaningful experience, while also helping local foodbanks better serve the needs of families facing hunger.”