April 18, 2019

Grifols US donor centers exceed 250,000 pounds of food collected

About 20% of children in the U.S. are frequently hungry while nearly 50 million Americans do not get enough to eat.

  • About 20% of children in the U.S. are frequently hungry while nearly 50 million Americans do not get enough to eat.

Raleigh, N.C., April 18, 2019 – Grifols, one of the world's three top providers of plasma-derived medicines to treat life-threatening diseases, today announced that its U.S. network of over 220 donor centers collaborated with local food banks and pantries to collect more than 250,000 pounds of groceries to help address food insecurity in local communities.

According to Feeding America, a leading national hunger non-profit, the 253,000 pounds of food collected translates into 211,0001 meals to help support the over 50,000 families2 that cannot put sufficient food on the table.

Feeding America reports that one in five children in the U.S. are regularly hungry while 49.1 million Americans live in households without sufficient food.

"Collecting food is one way we can help stamp out hunger," said Bryan Gump, manager for the Grifols Biomat USA center in Canton, Ohio, which raised 9,182 pounds of the total. "It's important to us to be good citizens in the communities we serve.  The drive was also a great way to bring us all together for a common cause."

Grifols employees, donors and community neighbors collected the non-perishable food donations in March through food drives, fundraisers and also serving as drop-off points for more than100 local food banks and pantries.

The company, which operates the largest network of plasma donor centers, enabled its donors to double their generosity, through both their life-saving plasma donations as well as the food drive.

For Grifols, the food drive is the broadest community services initiative it has ever conducted in the U.S. It is a clear example of the company's commitment to partner with local organizations and give back to society while meeting its mission of improving the health and wellbeing of people around the world.

1"Food drives can raise 700 pounds per distribution location — roughly 583 meals." Feeding America. "Fundraise for your local food bank." Accessed April 8, 2019. https://www.feedingamerica.org/ways-to-give/food-drives.
2Based on a family of four