Nearly 375 Nash Finch Company employees will be volunteering across 16 Twin Cities organizations for the 2^nd Annual “Helping Hands in the Community Day” on Thursday June 14, 2012

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun. 14, 2012-- On June 14, 2012, nearly 375 Nash Finch Company (Nasdaq: NAFC) employees from the Edina, MN headquarters will lend a helping hand for a second year in a row to Twin Cities nonprofit organizations. Through the 2^nd Annual “Helping Hands in the Community Day,” Nash Finch will provide more than 2,300 hours of volunteer time to 16 participating nonprofit organizations.

Nash Finch encourages its employees to give back to the communities in which they live and work and for the second year is giving its associates time to volunteer “on the clock” in support of the 2^nd Annual “Helping Hands in the Community Day.” The Nash Finch associates will be volunteering at agencies funded by the NFC Foundation, Nash Finch’s charitable giving organization.

“At Nash Finch we strongly believe in giving back to those in need in our communities,” commented Alec Covington, Nash Finch President and CEO. “The 2^nd Annual ‘Helping Hands in the Community Day’ event encourages even more of our associates to support many worthy nonprofit organizations working hard every day to help the less fortunate. The associate response to our call to volunteer is gratifying and I am pleased to report that this year we have a 25% increase in associate volunteers versus last year.”

Organizations benefiting from the 2^nd Annual “Helping Hands in the Community Day” include NFC Foundation grant recipients, as well as organizations that have benefited from book donations through Nash Finch’s Feeding Imagination educational program. Since 2001, the NFC Foundation has donated more than $3.38 million to nonprofits, focusing its efforts largely on hunger and shelter needs. Feeding Imagination has provided more than 140,234 reading books to children, and the organizations that serve them, since its inception in 2006.

Gary Spinazze, Chair of the NFC Foundation, stated, “It’s exciting to have such a dramatic increase in associate volunteers for the 2^nd Annual ‘Helping Hands in the Community Day.’ Volunteering provides a great opportunity for our associates to make a difference, and our associates really want to help out! This year we will be packing meals, stocking food shelves, painting and landscaping, just to name a few of the activities.”

One organization benefiting from the 2^nd Annual “Helping Hands in the Community Day” is Neighborhood House of St. Paul. Neighborhood House is a multi-service agency providing basic needs, youth and adult education programs. Neighborhood House is focused daily on fighting the cycle of poverty, by helping people, families and organizations develop skills and knowledge to thrive in diverse communities.

“In 2011, Nash Finch volunteers helped Neighborhood House maintain a warm, inviting atmosphere by helping groom our gardens and paint and deep clean areas critical to the building operation,” said Armando Camacho, President. “For the 2^nd Annual ‘Helping Hands in the Community Day,’ Nash Finch volunteers will provide a wide range of vital services, including sorting and stocking food from a large food drive, and filling in to help our participants shop in the food shelf. We are truly impressed by the flexible, energetic and cheerful service ethic of Nash Finch volunteer associates. Nash Finch, as a company, and their employees set a standard that is a model for our community.”

The following list includes all organizations taking part in the 2^nd Annual “Helping Hands in the Community Day”:

About Nash-Finch

Nash-Finch is a Fortune 500 company and one of the leading food distribution companies in the United States. Nash-Finch's core business, food distribution, serves independent retailers and military commissaries in 36 states, the District of Columbia, Europe, Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Azores and Egypt. The Company also owns and operates a base of retail stores, primarily supermarkets under the Econofoods®, Family Thrift Center®, AVANZA®, Family Fresh Market® and Sun Mart® trade names. Further information is available on the Company website, www.nashfinch.com.

About the NFC Foundation

The NFC Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit established by Nash Finch Company, exists to aid people in need throughout the communities where Nash Finch associates live and work. The NFC Foundation primarily focuses on relief efforts related to hunger and shelter, and provides assistance through financial contributions to nonprofits, as well as through associate volunteerism. In 2010, the NFC Foundation and Nash Finch were named a local Jefferson Awards Winner for corporate giving by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. More information on the NFC Foundation is available at www.nfcfoundation.org.

Source: Nash Finch Company

Nash Finch Company
Maria Gallegos, 952-844-1201