Capital City Fruit’s Tradition Of Giving Continues

NORWALK, Iowa – Capital City Fruit, a grower, repacker and supply chain manager of fruits and vegetables in the Midwest has been giving back to charities and family organizations for 69 years. In the last 8 years alone, they donated 4,298,077 pounds of food to the Des Moines community.

Paige Peterson, Grower Representative, commented on the culture of giving at Capital City Fruit, “Starting out as an apple orchard meant we needed outside assistance to grow. How can we not give back to a community that thrives on getting people on their own two feet to succeed?”

On August 6, 2018, the tradition of giving continued, when Capital City Fruit found themselves overwhelmed with extra melons. 135 watermelons that is. They started by donating to PDS (Packaging Distribution Services), one of their long-time packaging partners, and then they began to search for charitable groups to work with.

“I wanted to reach out to organizations that are often overlooked. Just because an organization may not function as a food pantry does not mean they don’t need food, too,” said Melanie Trepa, Marketing Coordinator.

After some phone calls, the juicy watermelons found their home at Youth Emergency Shelter and Services, Habitat for Humanity, Salvation Army, and Catholic Charities of the Des Moines metro.

Leslie Van DerMolen, Poverty Reduction Manager at Catholic Charities, commented on their watermelon donation. “We love getting watermelon donated to us. When Capital City dropped off the donation it was distributed in under an hour. Items like that are a little more expensive in the grocery store so we are very appreciative to receive it as a donation. It’s a treat for our clients who otherwise wouldn’t have easy access to fresh produce.”  

Jennie Kerger, Family Services Director at Salvation Army Des Moines, expressed the impact it made. “We definitely appreciate the partnership we have with Capital City Fruit. We’ve been working with them for years and it is so nice that they can provide the community with produce that’s usually quite expensive. When I checked on the watermelon I didn’t see any left so I’m sure it was enjoyed by all.”

About Capital City Fruit: 

Capital City Fruit is a grower, repacker and supply chain manager of quality fruits and vegetables, serving retail and food service clients throughout the Midwest. Since 1949, Capital City Fruit has been delivering exceptional fresh produce with exceptional customer service. Capital City Fruit produce originates from several growing regions in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and abroad – as well as from our local grower network throughout the Midwest. Capital City Fruit’s extensive offerings also include certified organic produce and convenient fresh-cut produce.  

Source: Capital City Fruit