Hauppauge, NY - May 13, 2016 - NBTY, a global manufacturer, marketer, distributor and retailer of market-leading vitamins, supplements, and sports and active nutrition products, has donated 421,315 pounds of nutrition bars to Island Harvest Food Bank, which, in turn, will supplement approximately 350,000 meals to Long Islanders struggling with food insecurity. The donation, which consists of NBTY’s nutritionally-rich 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.
According to Randi Shubin Dresner, president and CEO, Island Harvest Food Bank, there is a direct correlation between hunger and health. “Food insecure individuals are disproportionally affected by chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes,” said Shubin Dresner.
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.”
“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 NALC salutes NBTY for its corporate leadership in support of the Stamp Out Hunger food drive,” said Walter Barton, president, NALC Branch 6000. “NBTY’s generous and historic donation will go a long way in providing supplemental nutrition for individuals and families facing hunger.”
The donation was announced at Island Harvest Food Bank’s recent kickoff to the annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive, the nation’s largest single-day food drive held on May 14.
NBTY’s Balance Bars provide the ideal ratio of carbohydrates, protein, and dietary fat. Its Pure Protein® bars provide supplemental protein, an essential nutrient necessary for the structure, function, and regulation of the body’s organs and tissues.
About Hunger on Long Island
Hunger is a state in which people do not get enough food to provide the nutrients for active and healthy lives. It can result from the recurrent lack of access to food. More than 316,000 Long Islanders face the risk of hunger every day, according to Island Harvest Food Bank and Feeding America, a national hunger-relief organization. Those facing hunger include adults (often working two jobs), seniors and veterans. Unable to make ends meet, they (and their children) are often forced to go without food. Approximately 70,000 individuals seek food assistance in Nassau and Suffolk counties each week through soup kitchens, food pantries and other feeding programs served by Island Harvest.
About Island Harvest Food Bank
Island Harvest Food Bank is a leading hunger-relief organization that provides food and other resources to people in need. Always treating those it helps with dignity and respect, its goal is to end hunger and reduce food waste on Long Island through efficient food collection and distribution; enhanced hunger-awareness and nutrition-education programs; job training; and direct services targeted at children, senior citizens, veterans and others at risk.
Approximately 94 cents of every dollar donated to Island Harvest goes to programs that support more than 316,000 Long Islanders. Island Harvest is a lead agency in the region’s emergency-response preparedness for food and product distribution, and is a member of Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief organization. More information can be found at www.islandharvest.org.
About NBTY
NBTY has enriched the lives of consumers around the world by introducing innovative products and solutions to the health and wellness marketplace for more than 40 years. Our ongoing mission to deliver the highest quality nutritional supplements and wellness products has resulted in an extensive portfolio of well-known and trusted brands, including Nature’s Bounty®, Sundown Naturals®, Osteo Bi-Flex®, Solgar®, Balance Bar®, MET-Rx®, Pure Protein®, Body Fortress®, Puritan’s Pride®, Holland & Barrett®, De Tuinen®, and many others. As a leading global manufacturer, marketer, distributor and retailer of market-leading vitamins and nutritional supplements, NBTY is committed to supporting wellness by creating products that consumers want and making them easily available anywhere they shop. Learn more about NBTY's wellness vision and industry-leading products at www.nbty.com.