Last updated on January 17th, 2019
The holiday season was a little brighter for some folks in the Yakima, Washington, area thanks to the efforts of Rainier Fruit. As part of its Pears for Pairs national marketing campaign benefiting homeless charities, the staff at Selah, Washington-based Rainier Fruit pitched in to make a difference not just nationally, but also at home. They raised more than $1,300 during a holiday dessert auction and donated hundreds of pairs of socks and towels to the Yakima Union Gospel Mission.
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.
The Rainier team also participated in the annual Toys for Tots toy drive and collected more than 800 toys for distribution to local children as part of the company’s annual holiday tradition.
“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,” said Andy Tudor, VP of business development. “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 than 3.5 million people experiencing homelessness each year. In the Yakima/Selah area, the homeless population continues to grow with more than 570 people experiencing homelessness in 2018.
The Pears for Pairs inaugural holiday marketing program kicked off in November 2018 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.
Rainier Fruit is a multi-generation, vertically integrated fruit company. For more than 100 years, Rainier Fruit has cultivated a culture of stewardship that extends from its orchards to its communities that has made it an industry leader in the production of apples, pears, cherries and blueberries.
