Local restaurants are participating in Eat to Feed The Hungry to benefit Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services and so should you! Seriously, we're champing at the bit for this week of good will and good eats.

Eat to Feed The Hungry is a way for us Sacramentans to show our beloved Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services some well deserved support. It's also an excuse to nosh your way through some of our city's best eateries.

How do you get involved!? Just follow Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/sfbfs) and join the Facebook event (http://www.facebook.com/events/227633957319693/). You can also follow SFBFS on Twitter @SacFoodBank for the latest news on new venues and special discounts.

Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS), which organizes the famed Thanksgiving Run to Feed The Hungry, partnered with The Sacramento Press to host the inaugural Eat to Feed The Hungry. During Feb. 20 - 26, Eat to Feed The Hungry encourages members of the community to participate in a good cause by simply checking-in via social media at participating local restaurants while enjoying a meal. Sacramento restaurants, bars, and cafes have pledged a donation to SFBFS for every guest check-in - the event will be promoted and executed solely through social media.

Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services Communications Director Kelly Siefkin stated, "We are hopeful that community members find this a fun and easy way to support Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services – enjoy a delicious meal and help provide food for someone less fortunate."

She added: "Sacramentans turn out in full force on Thanksgiving Day to support Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services' Run to Feed the Hungry, and they are often looking for other ways to show that support year-round. This is a great opportunity for community members to give back outside of the holiday season, recognizing hunger is an issue all year."

More than 15 local restaurants have pledged to donate $1 for every check-in made by guests during the seven-day timeframe, with a cap of $500 per business. Guests will be able to double their $1 donation if they wear their Run to Feed The Hungry T-shirt upon check-in, take a photograph of themselves and add it to their check-in or post it on the business' Facebook wall. Donations from Eat to Feed The Hungry will help SFBFS purchase fresh, seasonal produce for seniors, healthy snacks for children, learning materials for adults and parent education resources.

The Golden Bear owner Kimio Bazett stated, "It's very important to be aware of what is happening in our community- we always hear about world hunger on a large scale, but the fact is that people are going hungry right here in our city. As business owners, we feel it is our duty to give back and help the community."

He added: "SFBFS has such a positive effect on the community, and we are happy to be part of a great cause- we hope that our involvement will help support their overall goal." During Eat to Feed The Hungry, The Golden Bear plans on offering participants a new food special and to promote a canned food drive for those who are not able to participate in the event.

Eat to Feed The Hungry locations include but are not limited to Sacramento hot-spots such as Zócalo, Ella, The Golden Bear, Ink Eats & Drinks, Thai Basil, Level Up Lounge, River City Brewing Co., Sandra Dee's Bar-B-Que & Seafood, Dive Bar, Pizza Rock, Gogi's Korean BBQ, Cafeteria 15L, MIX, and Red Rabbit (opening Feb. 1). All locations in Eat to Feed The Hungry are also event sponsors – they have committed a $500 pledge to SFBFS regardless of the amount of check-ins they receive. For those who are not able to make it to a location during the event but still want to be a supporter, text in a $10 donation by texting SACFOOD to 20222.

As an added benefit for taking part in Eat to Feed The Hungry, Agency M, a full-service digital media agency that values a longstanding digital media partnership with SFBFS, will be providing participating businesses a one-hour social media consulting session with a focus on how to promote Eat to Feed The Hungry through their social media platforms. Eat to Feed The Hungry businesses will be highlighted in social promotion via The Sacramento Press, SacMix.com, and SFBFS Facebook and Twitter profiles.

About Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services

Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services is a local nonprofit organization serving families and individuals in need. With a staff of 40 and a volunteer force of more than 4,000, Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services provides free emergency goods and services to nearly 15,000 unique men, women and children each month. For more information, visit sacramentofoodbank.org.

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