[Ralphs] – Ralphs Grocery Co. believes in giving back to the communities its store serve. In keeping with its commitment of giving, the L.A.-based supermarket company announced Wednesday that it contributed more than $6 million to local communities and charitable causes in Southern California, as well as 3.4 million pounds of fresh food to its Feeding America partner agencies.

These donations – which include donations made by Ralphs, the company’s charitable foundation, associates and through in-store fundraising – provided much-needed financial support to thousands of local schools, hunger relief agencies and non-profit organizations in Southern California communities where the company operates stores.

“Ralphs recognizes the importance of investing in the communities where our associates and customers live and work,” said Donna Giordano, president of Ralphs. “Giving back to our communities is an important part of Ralphs culture and social responsibility in Southern California.”

Ralphs focuses its charitable giving in five key areas: hunger relief; K-12 education; advancement of women and minorities; women’s health; and grassroots opportunities. Among the charitable programs that Ralphs supported last year:

Fundraising for schools and local organizations – Ralphs donated $2.5 million to local schools and charitable organizations through our Community Contribution Program, which provides Ralphs Rewards Cardholders with the opportunity to have a percentage of their purchases donated to the non-profit of their choice.

Hunger relief – More than $400,000 and over 3.4 million pounds of fresh product were donated to local Feeding America-affiliated hunger organizations.

Breast Cancer Research – More than $240,000 was contributed to local breast cancer awareness programs.

Children’s Hospitals – Ralphs supported six children’s hospitals in Southern California.

Military Veterans Organizations – Proudly supporting the USO throughout Southern California.

Ralphs Volunteers – Ralphs’ charitable efforts were supported by more than 1,000 of its associates, who volunteered more than 2,500 hours to make our communities better.

About Ralphs

Ralphs Grocery Company was founded in 1873 and currently operates 204 supermarkets from its headquarters in Los Angeles. Last year, Ralphs contributed more than $6 million to support education, hunger relief, women’s health and local nonprofit organizations in the communities served by the company’s stores. Ralphs is a subsidiary of The Kroger Co., one of the world’s largest retailers, based in Cincinnati, Ohio. For more about Ralphs, please visit our web site at www.ralphs.com.