La Tienda Raises Over $100,000 in Donations for Spanish Food Banks

Williamsburg, VA – May 20, 2016

Offering gourmet foods from Spain since 1996 is only one part of La Tienda's mission. The company is also proud to support the Spanish people and the country’s vibrant food culture. This year La Tienda completed a fundraising effort to donate over $100,000 for food banks across Spain during the recent economic downturn.

The economic crisis in Spain has been devastating and long lasting, with employment rates of over 20% to this day. This prolonged downturn has left many families in Spain hungry, relying on the support of food banks for their next meal. La Tienda owners Tim, Jonathan and Don Harris were deeply concerned. Given their strong personal relationships with many small Spanish food companies and their shared love of Spain with their tens of thousands of customers, they knew they were in a unique position to help.

In Fall of 2012, La Tienda launched a fundraising campaign to support an organization that could reach the those families who were struggling most. The business selected the Spanish Federation of Food Banks (FESBAL), which coordinates the efforts of fifty-four localized food banks across all of Spain.

La Tienda named its effort ‘Campaign for Spain,’ and has raised over $100,000 in donations to bring the effort to a successful conclusion. “We saw the impact the economic crisis was having on Spain and we were very happy to be able to help,” noted CEO Tim Harris. Visitors to the site donate directly to the Campaign for Spain, with no purchase necessary. 100% of the money raised goes to FESBAL and there are no administrative fees taken by La Tienda.

Since its inception, La Tienda has supported local food banks in Virginia and continues to do so. In addition, La Tienda donates annually to a variety of charitable organizations in support of the greater Williamsburg community. “As a food company, we think it makes sense to support anti-hunger initiatives at home and in Spain. We are so pleased that the ‘Campaign for Spain’ has been a success and we are grateful to everyone for their generosity and kindness,” added Harris.

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La Tienda is the leading online retailer gourmet food and cookware from Spain. Founded and managed by the Harris family, the business works with artisan and small family businesses across Spain. La Tienda celebrates its 20 year anniversary this year.

La Tienda is based in Williamsburg, Virginia. The company ships to customers across the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada. La Tienda sent over 100,000 packages in 2015, mostly to individual customers, but also to some of the most renowned restaurants and chefs in the country. It has a retail store and tapas bar in Williamsburg to share the flavors of Spain with the local community.

In 2011, La Tienda received the Outstanding Workplace Education Partnership Award from the Virginia Association for Adult and Continuing Education (VAACE). In spring of 2012, La Tienda was honored with the national award for Outstanding Workplace of the Year from the Commission on Adult Basic Education (COABE).

In October of 2012, La Tienda co-founder Don Harris was awarded Spain’s Official Cross of the Order of Civil Merit by Ramón Gil-Casares, Ambassador of Spain to the United States, in recognition of Harris’ extraordinary services promoting the people, culture and foods of Spain in the United States.