OXNARD, Calif. (PRWEB)
August 10, 2020

In alignment with their commitment to helping enrich the communities where they operate, Reiter Affiliated Companies (RAC), makes philanthropic donations to local organizations.

With the COVID-19 pandemic changing many lives in a significant manner, nonprofits across the country are facing increased demand for their services. At the same time, there is a decrease in funding for these organizations as they are being forced to cancel critical fundraising events and regular donors are struggling themselves. To help ease this burden in their local communities, RAC philanthropy committees directed donations to several non-profits throughout California.

In Oxnard, a donation of $25,000 was issued to Future Leaders of America which helps local immigrant families with direct financial assistance to pay for basic needs during the COVID19 pandemic. RAC also donated $13,000 to the Food Share of Ventura County who continues to provide food and fresh produce for families experiencing food insecurity.

“These are unprecedented times,” said Eric Reiter, RAC VP of CA Operations. “Funding for non-profits is falling, but the needs of our communities are not. We are incredibly thankful to be able to support these organizations during this time so that in turn, they can continue supporting our youth and families.”

In Santa Maria, RAC donated $7,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Mid Central Coast, which is currently raising funds to provide groceries to the young people participating in its clubs. They also donated $3,000 to the Food Bank of Santa Barbara County, supporting them as they try to keep up with surging demand and ensure that all families have access to food.

“In partnership with Santa Barbara County Foodbank, Gold Coast Packing, and Reiter Affiliated, we now serve approximately 1,200 individuals each week (400-500 bags of fresh food weekly). Many of the recipients of the food distribution service have never needed outside help or been reliant on safety net programs prior to the COVID-19 crisis,” stated Jeremy Deming, CEO Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast.

In Watsonville, RAC donated $11,000 to Santa Cruz Community Ventures, an organization that is helping individuals and families with one-time emergency assistance in this time of crisis in the form of gift cards, rent assistance, and food. Additionally, RAC donated $7,000 to Youth NOW, an organization dedicated to helping youth grow personally and academically through individualized programs. In response to the coronavirus, they are providing virtual tutoring services to support students as they adapt to online learning, as well as providing books, art supplies, and games for students to enjoy at home.

RAC also donated $5,000 to Monarch Services, a safe shelter for domestic violence victims, which has seen a swift uptick in the number of clients they are serving since the shelter-in-place order was mandated.

Furthermore, to help protect essential workers in Watsonville, RAC donated 5,000 KN95 masks to Clinica del Valle de Salinas, Salud Para la Gente, Natividad Hospital, and Watsonville Community Hospital. RAC also provided $5,000 worth of scholarships for children of essential workers to receive free child care at the YMCA.

As a family-owned farming company, RAC is proud to support the important work of community organizations that contribute to a greater quality of life for everyone.

To learn more about Reiter Affiliated Companies, please visit: http://www.berry.net

About Reiter Affiliated Companies

Reiter Affiliated Companies (RAC) is the largest fresh multi-berry producer in the world, growing Driscoll’s proprietary varieties of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries year round in the United States, Baja California, Central Mexico, Portugal, Morocco, Canada and Peru.

The Reiter family began farming in the San Francisco Bay Peninsula and by the turn of the century had migrated south into Watsonville and the Santa Clara Valley. By the late 1970’s, operations expanded into Southern California where the headquarters is today. The company values of Honesty, Fairness and Respect line the corridors of every office, guiding and leading business principles and decisions. Those decisions have resulted in the organization’s position as an industry leader, adopting health and wellbeing programs, opening primary health clinics and partnering with local organizations to improve the quality of life for the farmworker community.

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