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Record Breaking Year for Haggen’s Beef Counts Promotion

In case you hadn’t heard, for eight years straight Haggen has partnered with Food Lifeline, Double R Ranch, and the Washington Beef Commission’s Beef Counts campaign, in a joint effort to provide nutritious Northwest beef to community members in need. This summer, through customer donations at the register and two special fundraising events at their stores in Bellingham and Mt. Vernon, Haggen raised a mammoth $91,224 in support of Beef Counts!

Every single dollar raised by this program goes directly toward Food Lifeline’s purchase and distribution of nutritious beef to local food banks. As Kaily Hetherton, Marketing Event Coordinator at Haggen rightly points out, “We’re so grateful to Haggen shoppers, who recognize that’s it’s not always easy to get a balanced meal with a healthy protein included, and who donated to help provide nutritious beef to our neighbors in need.” This community support has helped the Beef Counts program provide more than two million servings of beef to Washington hunger relief programs since 2010.

Haggen’s commitment to this program helps us get a high-value product, not often found in the food donation stream, to our agency partners in Western Washington. While there may be a bump in food donations during holiday periods, food banks often struggle to fulfill protein requirements for local communities during other times of the year. The versatility, high protein content, and overall quality of Double R Ranch ground beef makes it an ideal addition to healthy meals for families in need.  Moreover, the need typically grows especially as we approach the holidays and wintertime because people experience expanded heating costs and other things that take away from their household budget. Often, the first thing that impacts is their ability to purchase food.

“Thanks to the generosity of Haggen, its customers, and Washington ranchers and farmers, thousands of hungry people will get the high-quality protein they need via Food Lifeline’s 300 agency network of food banks, meal programs and shelters,” says Linda Nageotte, President and CEO of Food Lifeline. “Beef Counts is a critical program that helps us meet the growing needs of children, families, seniors and many others who face hunger every day in our community.

Double R Ranch Northwest Beef is a premium beef brand from AgriBeef Co., in the heart of the Pacific Northwest. Located in the pristine Okanogan region of Washington State, the Double R Ranch is recognized for its high-quality cattle genetics and for its commitment to animal well-being and environmental stewardship.

Food Lifeline is so fortunate to have such a fantastic partnership with a company like Haggen who remain committed to locally sourced products and being a positive force for change in their community.