Jeff Hayward of the United Way (left), Carlos Mangual of Goya Foods (middle), and Tan Shu, a student at Boston University (right), help sort donations at the Reggie Lewis Center in Roxbury on March 16. (Media Credit/John Mottern)
To celebrate its 75th anniversary, Goya Foods donated 75,000 pounds of food to 10 Greater Boston food pantries earlier this month, providing enough food to feed 60,000 needy families.
Goya’s donations to local food banks in Boston, Chelsea, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn and Quincy on March 16 were part of a larger initiative, the Goya Gives campaign, in which Goya and the United Way donated one million pounds of food across the nation, enough to feed three million people. The company’s philanthropy also extended to other parts of the world, with the donation of 75,000 pounds of food sent to troops serving overseas and 100,000 cans of coconut water sent to victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
Robert Unanue, president of Goya Foods, said, “Giving has always been an integral part of our culture, so as we celebrate our 75th anniversary, we wanted to give back to the communities that have always supported us. At a time when millions of Americans are facing food insecurity, this donation reinforces our commitment to aiding in the fight against hunger, so we thank United Way for helping us execute this day of giving.”
At Roxbury’s Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center, student volunteers from the Boston area took part in an “alternative spring break,” helping Goya and United Way unload, sort and distribute the donated food to pantries.
For more information on the Goya Gives campaign and to donate to the United Way, go to www.goyagives.org.
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