TEMPE, October 24, 2022 – Financial-services firm Edward Jones plans to collect 100,000 pounds of food during its annual Bag-A-Thon event whereby 1,000 Edward Jones associates are joining the fight against food insecurity.
Over 300 Edward Jones branch teams are inviting clients and community members to donate food on Oct. 29 at the Edward Jones Tempe home office. Donations will go to the United Food Bank and the Tempe Community Action Agency, which support thousands of Arizona families who struggle with hunger.
Arizona has the third highest child food insecurity rate in the country, with 456,000 children facing hunger daily. That’s why Edward Jones has increased its annual Bag-A-Thon goal to 100,000 pounds of food. With every 1.2 pounds of food equating to one meal, 100,000 pounds would be 83,330 meals for needy families.
Edward Jones associates and local agencies are calling on community members to bring a bag of food to its Bag-A-Thon drive between 8 and 11 am on Oct. 29 at 8333 South River Parkway in Tempe’s Arizona State University Research Park. Additionally, over 300 local Edward Jones branch offices will collect donations from Oct. 10 through 28.
Partnering for Positive Impact
The Bag-A-Thon event embodies the firm’s purpose — to partner for positive impact to improve the lives of its clients and colleagues and together, better communities and society. This is the third annual Bag-A-Thon held by Edward Jones in the Phoenix-area and the 15th year Edward Jones has held the food drive in the state of Arizona.
“Edward Jones is embedded in our local communities and we feel a responsibility to support the communities where we live, work and serve,” said Ken Blanchard, an Edward Jones principal who began the firm’s food drives in Arizona. “To be able to give back alongside our clients and our communities is one way to make a meaningful difference.”
“It takes a lot of helping hands in the community to ensure we can get food to the people that need it most,” said Becca Gilbert, United Food Bank Food drive manager. We are so grateful to community partners, like Edward Jones, who go the extra mile and host food drives, so we can make sure we have enough food to assist the people that need it most in our community.”
For more information on Bag-A-Thon drop sites, please visit www.edwardjones.com/bag-a-thon.
