Jun 3, 2005 8:54 AM, from staff and wire reports

To help feed the more than 36 million Americans who go hungry every year, Red Lobster restaurants nationwide have begun donating unused food to charitable organizations through the firm's new Harvest Food Donation Program.

Unused food at Red Lobster’s more than 640 restaurants will be bagged, weighed, labeled, chilled or frozen, and stored so it can be donated to charitable organizations. Red Lobster is partnering with Food Donation Connection (FDC), a national organization that teams foodservice companies with charities that feed the needy.

Several charities will benefit from this program, including the Salvation Army, food banks, homeless shelters, and soup kitchens.

Red Lobster will donate food including already prepared dishes (crab, shrimp cocktails, baked potatoes, vegetables, soups, and desserts) and seafood and meat that can be prepared in various ways (fish, shrimp, scallops, lobster, chicken, and steak).