Refrigerated truck donated to Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC during ABC11 Together Food Drive

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina is one of 10 food banks across 18 states to receive a refrigerated food truck this holiday.

Feeding America partner Darden Restaurants is donating the trucks to member food banks to help fight hunger in their communities. Each truck is 26 feet and can transport up to 12,000 pounds of food at a time.

The trucks are tools that can help food banks connect more people to much needed meals.

"These trucks will expand our food banks' ability to deliver food where it's needed most," Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot said.

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"All of us at Darden have a shared purpose to nourish and delight everyone we serve, and our commitment to service extends beyond our restaurants into our communities," said Rick Cardenas, President and CEO of Darden Restaurants in a release.

Here are the 10 food banks that received a refrigerated truck this year:

• Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina
• Community Food Bank of New Jersey
• Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona
• El Pasoans Fighting Hunger
• Feeding South Florida
• Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, Inc.
• Houston Food Bank
• Los Angeles Regional Food Bank
• Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma
• Second Harvest of South Georgia, Inc.

The company and its foundation have partnered with Feeding America for 13 years. Since January 2021, Darden and its partners helped to donate 35 trucks, along with money for operating expenses, to 35 food banks across the country.