Financial advisers at Ameriprise Financial in Roanoke volunteered at Feeding America Southwest Virginia as part of a national day of service. Participants sorted and packed donated food to be shipped to local food pantries.  Stewart L. Barnes, Edward R. Barnes and James A. Harlow from the  Roanoke office volunteered time at Feeding America.

Here is the press release from Ameriprise.

Roanoke, VA – (November 28, 2012) – Ameriprise financial advisors from Roanoke recently joined forces with their colleagues, clients, family and friends, to help fight domestic hunger. On November 16, the group of 35 participants volunteered at Feeding America Southwest Virginia where they sorted and packed donated food items for distribution to local food pantries. The event was part of a national day of service organized by the company. Ameriprise financial advisors, staff and employees across more than 45 states have committed to volunteering at approximately 350 hunger relief organizations in their local communities.

“Ameriprise Financial is dedicated to supporting organizations like Feeding America Southwest Virginia that are committed to hunger relief efforts,” said Stewart Barnes, who organized the local volunteer efforts. “As the recession made clear by leaving one in six Americans struggling with food scarcity, hunger knows no boundaries. Our goal with this project is to lift up those in our community who’ve fallen on hard times and had difficulty putting food on the table. In partnering with Feeding America Southwest Virginia, I know we’re making a difference.”

Partnerships, like that of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. and Feeding America Southwest Virginia, are born out of benevolence and nurtured to serve the common good and are critical to strengthening the fabric of our communities.

The following local Ameriprise financial advisors participated in the event: Stewart L. Barnes, Edward R. Barnes and James A. Harlow.

Aligned with its giving priority of Meeting Basic Needs, Ameriprise Financial began a charitable partnership with Feeding America in 2009, which includes both financial and volunteer-based support for the nonprofit and other hunger relief organizations. The goal of the partnership is to help meet an increased demand on food banks and work toward finding long-term solutions to domestic hunger. Through the efforts of its advisors, employees, retirees and clients, the company has provided more than 21 million meals, raised more than $3 million and volunteered approximately 65,000 hours in support of domestic hunger relief.

About Feeding America Southwest Virginia
Feeding America Southwest Virginia was founded in 1981 and proudly commemorates 31 years of fighting hunger and changing lives through community partnerships.  The Food Bank is an affiliate member of Feeding America.  For the last three decades the Food Bank’s ultimate mission has remained the same:  eliminate hunger in the region.  The primary function of the Food Bank is to secure large quantities of food for the hungry.  More than $24 million worth of food and grocery related products are channeled through a network of more than 417 partner feeding programs (in a 26 county and 10-city region) that provide food or meals to those in need.  Visit www.faswva.org for more information or “like” us on Facebook, Feeding America SWVA.

About Ameriprise Financial Community Relations
Ameriprise Financial is dedicated to using the firm’s resources and talents to improve the lives of individuals and build strong communities. Through grantmaking, volunteerism and employee and advisor gift matching programs, the company supports a diverse group of over 5,000 nonprofits across the country.

About Ameriprise Financial
At Ameriprise Financial, we have been helping people feel confident about their financial future for over 115 years. With a network of 10,000 financial advisors and outstanding asset management, advisory and insurance capabilities, we have the strength and expertise to serve the full range of consumer financial needs. For more information, or to find an Ameriprise advisor, visit ameriprise.com.