According to a press release from NBTY, the donation of Balance Bars and Pure Protein Bars “represents the largest single donation ever made in the history of the National Association of Letter Carriers’ (NALC) Stamp Out Hunger Campaign.”
A 2014 study, Hunger in America 2014, found that 50% of households accessing food through Long Island’s food banks have at least one member living with high blood pressure, and 21% have diabetes.
“NBTY’s generous donation is consistent with our goal of providing healthy, nutritious food and supplemental products to food insecure Long Islanders accessing the food pantries and other feeding programs we serve throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties,” Randi Shubin Dresner, president and CEO of Island Harvest Food Bank, said in the release.
“Today we are donating over 421,000 pounds of food – in the form of nutrition bars from Pure Protein and Balance Bar , two of our trusted brands, to Island Harvest in support of the NALC Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive,” said Sonya Soutus, Senior Vice President, Chief Public Affairs and Communications Officer for NBTY. “Through Island Harvest, which works with partner agencies nationwide, our bars will be distributed to hundreds of thousands of people in need – and we could not be more proud to help.”
The company said that NBTY’s Balance Bars provide the “ideal ratio of carbohydrates, protein, and dietary fat,” while Pure Protein bars provide “supplemental protein, an essential nutrient necessary for the structure, function, and regulation of the body’s organs and tissues.”