Just in time for the holiday season, PCL Construction donates $150,000 to local food banks across the nation.

DENVER, CO, Nov. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - As families gather to give thanks for what they have and the food they eat, 18 million Americans will struggle to feed their families, according to the Department of Agriculture. Hunger continues to be a growing issue impacting communities, so to help meet this year's need PCL Construction has donated $150,000 to food banks around the country.

"Food banks across the country are doing more than ever before and we are pleased to offer our help to keep up with the demand," said Peter Beaupré, president and COO for PCL's US operations. "Four years ago, we saw the value of supporting food banks, and the need continues to grow throughout the communities where PCL operates."

PCL began its food bank giving initiative in 2009, and since that time PCL has given a total of $588,000 to food banks across the US, providing approximately 4.7 million meals. In addition to monetary donations, several PCL employees have also volunteered their time to assist with sorting and organizing incoming food donations.

"We are so grateful for PCL's generous support, their donation will help thousands of homeless and hungry men, women, and children in our community," said Leslie Millett, director of Public Relations for the Raleigh Rescue Mission. "Helping our neighbors in need often starts with a hot meal, and PCL's gift is enough to provide about 3,570 meals to the hungry. That meal is often the first step towards a changed life. We are thankful to have PCL's help in meeting the needs and changing the lives of those less fortunate." "For the fourth year in a row, PCL has generously provided the Place of Forsyth County with a grant to support the agency's food programs," said Sandy Beaver, executive director at the Place of Forsyth County, located in Cumming, Georgia. "This year, employees were actively involved in putting boxes of food together for the annual Thanksgiving distribution. The Board of Directors, staff, and the clients we serve are sincerely appreciative of this long-term partnership."

PCL offices in 15 locations across the country have provided $10,000 to food banks in Anchorage, Atlanta, Bakersfield, Dallas, Denver, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Orlando, Raleigh, San Diego, Seattle, Tampa, and Tempe, for a collective donation of $150,000. The organizations supported by PCL's food bank giving this year include:

About the PCL family of companies:
PCL is a group of independent construction companies that carries out work across the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, and in Australia. These diverse operations in the civil infrastructure, heavy industrial, and buildings markets are supported by a strategic presence in 31 major centers. Together, these companies have an annual construction volume of more than $6 billion, making PCL one of the largest contracting organizations in North America. Watch us build at PCL.com.

SOURCE PCL family of companies