Dollar General Donates $1M to Fight Hunger
Dollar General is giving plenty of dollars – $1 million, in fact – to help fight food insecurity. The discount retailer announced this week that it is donating that large sum to Feeding America to mark its one-year partnership with the hunger relief organization.
According to company information, the donation will benefit community food banks and increase access to nutritious food sources. Feeding America runs a network of more than 200 food banks, 21 state food bank associations and over 60,000 partner agencies and meal programs.
During its 2021 fiscal year, Dollar General provided more than 4.5 million pounds of food to various programs. The retailer has also ramped up its commitment to providing healthy, nutritious foods to its customers, through the addition of fresh produce in thousands of its stores and its introduction of healthy Better for You Meals.
“We are excited to continue our partnership with Feeding America and help advance their mission of ensuring equitable access to nutritious food for all,” said Dollar General CEO Todd Vasos. “Food insecurity impacts people of all ages in communities across the country. We are proud to leverage our unique store footprint to help increase access to a variety of nutritious foods that help provide meals to individuals facing hunger.”
Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America, said that the group welcomes the significant support. “Tackling the issue of food insecurity is not something we do alone. We are so grateful for dedicated partners like Dollar General, who are doing the work alongside us and helping to increase access to healthy, nutritious food for everyone. By working together, we're one step closer to a hunger-free America,” she declared.
The donation comes at a crucial time, when high prices are affecting millions of American consumers. Earlier in August, Feeding America reported that 65% of its member food banks reported an increase in demand for emergency food assistance in June compared to the previous month and 90% reported steady or increased demand for services as food prices skyrocketed.
Goodlettsville, Tenn.-based Dollar General operated 18,356 stores in 47 states as of April 29. The company is No. 15 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
