For every product sold, Bloom Farms donates money to food banks to cover the cost of sourcing and distributing a healthy meal to someone in need. Since starting our 1-for-1 program in December of 2015, Bloom Farms has surpassed 2.5 million meals pledged to this effort.
Several million Californians don’t know where their next meal is coming from – and that includes millions of children who may go to bed hungry each night, according to the California Association for Food Banks. The state’s food insecurity rate was nearly 14 percent as of 2018, and a teenage Ray saw this first-hand while growing up in Calaveras County with childhood friends who often stayed over for home-cooked meals.
“Back then we were simply having my friends over for dinner, but I didn’t realize the severity of the situation until I got a little older and saw the statistics,” says CEO Michael Ray. “It just broke my heart, and I knew I had to do something about it.”
Weaving a solution for food insecurity into the company’s ethos was a natural fit when Ray was founding the business. “True corporate responsibility involves investing equally in the success of your business and the social good,” he says.
In addition to our one-for-one program, Bloom Farmers are encouraged to spend four hours of paid volunteer time every month to dedicate as they see fit, and until COVID restrictions participated in regular volunteer days at partner food banks. It’s that bilateral dedication that has made a lasting impact at these cash-strapped non-profits.
“Partnering with Bloom Farms has made all the difference for World Harvest LA and its clients,” says Glen Curado, CEO of World Harvest in Los Angeles. “They not only contribute financially, but their staff volunteers with us as often as they can. It's an amazing company with extraordinary staff.”
SF-Marin Food Bank, another food bank partner, serves the community nearer Bloom Farms’ Oakland headquarters.
“We’re so grateful for the reliable support that Bloom Farms has provided,” says Executive Director Paul Ash. “Just as our participants know they can depend on us for food, knowing that Bloom Farms is there to support the food bank is something we truly value.”
Keep up to date on our 1-for-1 program here, and thank you for your support!