Jan 10, 2019

Rainier charity campaign fights homelessness

The holiday season was a little brighter for some folks in the Yakima area thanks to the efforts of Rainier Fruit.

Rainier Fruit is a multi-generation, vertically integrated fruit company based in Selah, Washington.

As part of their Pears for Pairs national marketing campaign benefiting homeless charities, the staff at Rainier Fruit pitched in to make a difference not just nationally, but also at home, raising over $1,300 during a holiday dessert auction and coming together to donate hundreds of pairs of socks and towels to the Union Gospel Mission in Yakima, Washington state.

The Yakima Union Gospel Mission is just one of the many local charities providing emergency services to the homeless community with meals, shelter, medical care and basic necessities like socks.

But the Rainier team didn’t stop with socks. They also participated in the annual Toys for Tots toy drive and collected over 800 toys for distribution to local children as part of their annual holiday tradition.

Andy Tudor, Vice President of Business Development at Rainier Fruit commented, “At Rainier Fruit, our mission to be Wholesome to the Core is about finding ways to give back and make a difference in the community and the lives of others. Pears for Pairs helped to shine a light on the growing problem of homelessness not just nationally, but even locally here in our small community.”

The homeless epidemic touches every state in the U.S. with more the 3.5 million people experiencing homelessness each year. In the Yakima/Selah area the homeless population continues to grow with over 570 individuals, families and children experiencing homelessness in 2018.

The Pears for Pairs inaugural holiday marketing program kicked off in November with a joint event with Hanes in Austin, Texas at Mobile Loaves & Fishes and continued with in-store marketing programs around the country at various retailers. National donation amounts are currently being calculated and announcements of funds raised through retail programs will be announced soon.