Continuing a long history of giving back to the communities it serves, Haggen Pacific Southwest is donating more than 1 million pounds of food to local food banks from the 100 new stores the West Coast regional grocery chain is converting throughout California, Arizona and Nevada this spring. Haggen’s donation represents more than 833,333 meals to help feed the hungry. The donations began with the opening of the first Haggen store in California on March 11 in Carlsbad and will continue until June 20 when the final three stores open in Carpinteria, Long Beach and Santa Barbara.

Donated items from departments throughout each store include everything from fresh produce, baked goods, deli items and dairy, to meat, dry, canned and packaged goods.

“Our commitment to supporting local extends beyond sourcing and into the communities around our stores,” Bill Shaner, Haggen Pacific Southwest chief executive officer, said in a press release. “We are always looking for ways we can get involved and give back, providing hunger relief, educating our youth and promoting our core value of sustainability. We’re a grocery store and, above all else, we’re here to feed families, whether that’s through the great stores we run or partnering with Feeding America to help those in need.”

“The Feeding America network provides more than three billion meals each year to families facing hunger, thanks to the help of generous partners like Haggen,” Bill Thomas, chief supply chain officer of Feeding America, said in the release. “We are grateful to Haggen for providing meals for people in need and for raising awareness of hunger in the communities they serve.”

With each store opening, Haggen is also partnering with 100 local non-profits, donating a total of $100,000 across 100 stores opening in approximately 100 days. Local store leadership is involved in guiding the process to help make a meaningful impact in their communities.

Haggen is undergoing an unprecedented expansion from 18 stores with 16 pharmacies to 164 stores with 106 pharmacies; from 2,000 employees to more than 10,000 employees; and from a Pacific Northwest company with locations in Oregon and Washington to a major regional grocery chain with locations in Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada and Arizona. To date, Haggen Southwest has opened 66 new stores in California and will be opening an additional 34 stores in California, Arizona and Nevada in May and June.