Each year new donors step forward to support NIFB’s mission to provide nutritious food for those in need.  This year’s recipient of the New Donor of the Year award is Fresh Express, the world’s No. 1 maker of fresh-cut salads, fruits, and vegetables.

Fresh Express has long been the leader in consistently delivering a wide variety of great-tasting, nutritious and wholesome salads to people hungry for flavorful, healthy options.  In fact, it was Fresh Express that created an entirely new produce category when it became the first to successfully package and nationally distribute a fresh-cut, ready-to-eat salad with "just-picked" freshness and flavor.   More than just a part of the brand, F.R.E.S.H. is the daily motto adopted company-wide to signify the ongoing commitment to Freshness, Reliability, Efficiency, Safety and the continuing Happiness of consumers with their Fresh Express experience.

Giving back to the community is a cornerstone philosophy of Fresh Express.  The company's core values of integrity, responsibility and opportunity are directly reflected in their ongoing partnership with NIFB.  By providing food bank member families with a ready supply of convenient and fresh produce options, Fresh Express has clearly demonstrated it cares about the health and well-being of the less fortunate members of our communities.

The commitment of Fresh Express to help NIFB families in need is illustrated by the more than 700,000 pounds of fresh produce that has been donated to the food bank since beginning the partnership in 2003.  These monthly donations of pre-packaged salads and fresh-cut fruit are highly desirable and nutritious products that hungry people typically cannot afford to buy for their families. In fact, every Mobile Pantry that goes out to one of our partner food pantry agencies or other low-income sites includes Fresh Express salads!

Northern Illinois Food Bank thanks Fresh Express for their generous contribution of fresh and nutritious fresh-cut salads and fruit and for helping support  the mission to fight hunger in northern Illinois.