American Cruise Lines announced today that it had raised over $14,000 for the Connecticut Food Bank in time for the 2017 holiday season.

For the past five years, American Cruise Lines has held a Holiday Give-Back Program, which donates $50 for each cruise ticket sold during the holiday season to the Connecticut Food Bank.

The Connecticut Food Bank was founded in New Haven in 1982. It partners with food retailers, growers, donors and volunteers to source food and distribute it through a network of community-based programs. The Connecticut Food Bank provides food to hungry adults and children in six Connecticut counties: Fairfield, Litchfield, Middlesex, New Haven, New London and Windham. They are an affiliate of Feeding America, the nation’s food bank network, and are the largest centralized source of emergency food in Connecticut. Last year, they distributed enough food to provide more than 18 million meals.

“We are so pleased to contribute to this fantastic organization and our staff looks forward to volunteering at the Wallingford center each year. There is nothing more rewarding than giving back and directly effecting our local community in a meaningful way, especially during the holiday season,” said Susan Shultz-Gelino, Director of Sales for American Cruise Lines.