Grocers Donate Hams in the Heartland
Just in time for the holidays, grocers in the Midwest are fighting hunger with new food donation programs.
De Pere, Wis.-based Festival Foods is partnering with Hormel Foods’ Hams for Hunger campaign to deliver 1,230 hams to food pantries across the state. Teammates at eight of Festival Foods' 25 locations are coordinating the delivery of donated hams to food pantries in their communities.
The donations are part of a nationwide effort – led by Austin, Minn.-based Hormel Foods, Cure 81 ham and Feeding America – to provide 50,000 meals in 2016 in support of those facing hunger in the United States. Since 1989, Hormel Foods and its retail partners have donated more than $12 million in hams to those in need. Festival Foods is looking forward to being a part of this ongoing tradition.
"We are honored to partner with Hormel Foods to donate hams across Wisconsin to food pantries this holiday season,” said Mark Skogen, Festival Foods president and CEO. "There are many people in need this holiday season and we are happy to help in any way possible. We thank Hormel and its partners for their generous donation to Wisconsin families in the communities we serve.”
Festival Foods has already delivered more than 900 hams to local food pantries in communities it serves to ensure families in need are receiving an extra holiday gift, Skogen noted.
"Thank you to all the communities coming together this holiday season to ensure we all have a happy holiday," he said.
Meanwhile, West Des Moines, Iowa-based Hy-Vee Inc. was expected Wednesday to donate more than $170,000 worth of ham to the Twin Cities Salvation Army in Minnesota.
Hy-Vee partnered with the group to hand out more than 5,700 Hormel Cure 81 hams to needy families in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area, part of the Salvation Army’s annual Toy Shop events. This donation is the largest Hormel Foods has ever provided to Hy-Vee through its charitable program.
The organizations planned to host media events Wednesday in Minneapolis and Thursday in St. Paul to celebrate the donation.