Chicago, Ill., Dec. 07, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chicago, Ill.(December 6, 2018) -- Guaranteed Rate, one of the largest retail mortgage lenders in the nation, today announces a company milestone; it’s annual holiday Food Drive has provided more than 1 Million meals since it began five years ago. This year alone accounts for 132,493 pounds of food, which equates to nearly 400,000 meals.
The Guaranteed Rate 2018 Food Drive took place throughout November, with more than 5,000 employees in over 300 offices across the U.S. and Washington, D.C., competing to collect the largest volume of items to donate.
Winners were determined by highest pounds-per-employee donations. This year’s winning branches were: Providence, R.I., Frankfort, Ill. and the River North, Chicago branch.
“Our employees and their partners really stepped up to make a huge impact,” said Guaranteed Rate Chief Executive Officer and Founder Victor Ciardelli. “I appreciate their generosity and commitment to making such a difference within their communities.”
“We were stunned by the thousands of pounds of food that were delivered to the pantry. This donation will help feed people well into 2019,” said Margaret O’Coner, Executive Director at the Common Pantry in Chicago. “Common Pantry provides healthy food to almost 300 families each month. We are incredibly grateful for Guaranteed Rate and what it does to support those in need in our community.”
The winning teams, along with additional collections from the Guaranteed Rate corporate headquarters in Chicago, collectively donated the food and personal care items to: Camp Street Community Ministries, Chicago Heights Food Pantry, Frankfort Township Food Drive, the Greater Chicago Food Depository and the Common Pantry. Items from additional branches were donated to food pantries, homeless shelters and soup kitchens throughout the country.
In addition to supporting the non-affiliated charities with the Food Drive, Guaranteed Rate also gives back year-round with the Guaranteed Rate Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation established with one simple objective: to help families and their communities in times of desperate need in a meaningful and positive way. Since its founding in 2012, the Foundation has donated more than $2.5 million to help over 1,000 individuals who have experienced unforeseen hardships. To learn more about the Guaranteed Rate Foundation, visit www.guaranteedrate.com/foundation.
About Guaranteed Rate
Guaranteed Rate is one of the largest retail mortgage lenders in the United States. Headquartered in Chicago, the Company has over 5,000 employees in more than 300 offices across the U.S. and Washington, D.C., and is licensed in all 50 states. Since its founding in 2000, Guaranteed Rate has helped hundreds of thousands of homeowners with home purchase loans and refinances and funded nearly $19 billion in loans in 2017 alone. The Company has cemented itself as the Home Purchase Experts® by introducing innovative technology, such as the world's first Digital Mortgage, by offering low rates within an easy-to-understand mortgage process and by delivering unparalleled customer service. Honors and awards include: “Top Lender for Online Service” for 2018 by U.S. News & World Report; No. 3 ranking in Scotsman Guide's Top Retail Mortgage Lenders 2017; Top Lender 2016, 2017 and 2018 by Chicago Agent magazine; Chicago Tribune's Top Workplaces list for seven consecutive years; and Best Overall Online Lender and Best Lender for FHA Refinance by NerdWallet in 2018. Visit rate.com for more information.