Victra, the largest exclusive authorized retailer for Verizon Wireless products and services, is partnering with non-profit Feeding America, the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States, to launch a donation initiative benefitting 137local food banks, including the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina and the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle in Raleigh.  

Throughout August and September, Victra’s eight Triangle stores are selling hand sanitizer, with five dollars from every bottle sold benefitting these two local food banks. Each hand sanitizer bottle sold at Victra stores provides the equivalent of 50 meals from Feeding America, distributed to the local community through Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina and the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle.  

In total, Victra has pledged to match donations from Store Support Center team members in Raleigh, which combined with hand sanitizer sales, will equate to a $150,000 donation to Feeding America to directly impact food insecurity in communities across the country, which will translate to 30,000 meals.   

Due to the impacts of COVID-19, the demand for food resources is higher than ever, with more than 36 million Americans unemployed and more than 22 million children without typical free or reduced-price lunches from school. The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina serves about one-third of the state’s food needs – currently, projected numbers of food-insecure people within 34 counties is more than 756,000, with 253,000 of those being children. In addition, the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle in Raleigh has supplied more than 45,514 meals during the COVID-19 pandemic alone. 

“We are incredibly proud to partner with Feeding America to fight hunger and give back to those in need in our communities,”said Rich Balot, CEO of Victra. “Aligning with this national non-profit allows us to expand this initiative’s reach, while ensuring our efforts are still directly impacting the people and areas we serve, through the local food banks.The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina and Inter-Faith Food Shuttle provide needed resources to so many in Raleigh, and we encourage locals to support these organizations through hand sanitizer purchases or in any other way they can.” 

Vice President of Corporate Partnerships at Feeding America Lauren Bierdron shared, “The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted numerous things, including where so many Americans consistently receive their food. Our organization could not provide the necessary meals to millions across the country without the generous support of companies like Victra. The meals and pantry staples we provide to the local food banks will help Triangle children and families have a sense of security and stay healthy during these challenging times.”  

For more information about Victra or to find a location, visit www.victra.com.