Subaru Donates $300,000 To The Salvation Army Kroc Center In Camden
Donation Will Fund The Choice Food Pantry at New Community Center
Cherry Hill, N.J., February 14, 2013 /3BL Media/ - Subaru of America, Inc. yesterday announced it is making a $300,000 donation to The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center, which recently broke ground in the Cramer Hill section of Camden, N.J. Thomas Doll, Executive Vice President and COO of Subaru of America, announced the news during an event held at Subaru headquarters in Cherry Hill, N.J. Company employees and representatives of The Salvation Army were on hand for the announcement.
The $300,000 donation will fund The Choice Food Pantry within the Kroc Center, which will provide a wide variety of food choices to thousands of area individuals. With a setting similar to a supermarket, the pantry will allow clients to choose nutritionally appropriate food that will appeal to each family member.
“Support of the Choice Food Pantry further demonstrates Subaru of America’s commitment to reducing the hunger issues in our local community,” said Doll. “The Choice Food Pantry will fill a critical need while providing education and choices for the people who need assistance feeding themselves and their children. We are proud to partner with the Camden Kroc Center on this important initiative.”
The naming of the Choice Food Pantry is in keeping with Subaru’s desire to be an active participant in the fight against hunger and supports other corporate-wide hunger initiatives such as the annual Subaru Drive Out Hunger program and regional Share the Love Gardens, in which Subaru employees grow and donate fresh produce in their communities. These and other food initiatives have donated more than 800,000 pounds – 400 tons – of food over the past five years.
“We are extremely grateful for this generous contribution from Subaru,” said Major Paul Cain, Kroc Center Administrator. “This gift is just one more demonstration of Subaru’s continued efforts in support of the needs of the region.”
Construction on the $90 million Kroc Center began in early December. The 120,000 square-foot facility will create 160 new jobs and is scheduled to open in 2014. The Kroc Center features family and fitness services, education and outreach, an eight-lane competition pool and water park, a chapel, a black box theater and dance studio. It also features indoor and outdoor basketball courts and ball fields.
“Subaru’s ongoing commitment to ensuring the health and well-being of Camden County is evident in its community-centered initiatives. Partnering with the Kroc Center, which will serve as a hub for health and wellness needs, is another way for Subaru to show its dedication to the region,” said Camden County Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli, Jr.
The Kroc Center in Camden is one of 27 community centers in underserved neighborhoods nationwide. In 2004, The Salvation Army USA announced that it would receive nearly $1.6 billion from the estate of Mrs. Joan Kroc. Inspired by a center she created with The Salvation Army in San Diego, her gift would act as a lead grant to construct and partially endow the other centers. Mrs. Kroc wanted each Center to be a “beacon of hope and an agent of change,” providing opportunities for people of all ages to build a better life.
About Subaru of America, Inc.
Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 600 dealers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. For additional information, visit www.subaru.com.
About the Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center
After receiving a bequest of $1.6 billion from the estate of Mrs. Joan Kroc and reviewing 28 cities in its Eastern Territory, The Salvation Army USA chose Camden as one of eight locations to receive funds in 2006. The Salvation Army Camden has secured $88.7 million of the $90 million total cost. With a projected opening date in 2014, the Kroc Center will be a 120,000 square foot state-of-the-art center providing recreational, health, educational, cultural, family and spiritual programming to the Camden community.
CONTACT:
Subaru of America, Inc.
Sheriece Matias, Manager, Corporate Communications
(856) 488-5093; smat@subaru.com
Sandra Capell, Community Services Manager
For The Salvation Army
Liz Thomas
(856) 642-6226 x13; liz@thomasboyd.com
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