IGA "Help Fight Hunger" Campaign Donates Over 18 Tons of Food
IGA grocery stores serving 17 West Coast communities provided more than 18 tons (2,687 grocery bags) of food to local community food banks as a result of the IGA "Help Fight Hunger for the Holidays" campaign held during November and December 2010, exceeding last year's efforts by more than three tons of food, according to the association.
"It is great to see the huge impact that the IGA 'Help Fight Hunger' campaign makes toward ensuring no one goes hungry -- especially during the holidays,” said Doug Stone, manager, IGA retail advertising for Unified Grocers, an IGA regional wholesaler. "Helping maintain strong neighborhoods through community outreach programs is a core value of all IGAs, and the incredible amount of kindness and generosity revealed each year during the 'Help Fight Hunger' campaign is always very inspiring."
IGA's annual "Help Fight Hunger" campaign was designed to make food donations easy and rewarding for all parties involved. Shoppers purchase pre-packed grocery bags valued at $20 for $10 at their neighborhood IGA store (the IGA retailer donates the other $10). The stores then deliver all of the bags purchased each week to their community food banks. Participating shoppers’ names are displayed on ribbons affixed to the store’s walls.
The California, Oregon and Washington IGA retailers that participated in the 2010 campaign are all members of Unified Grocers, which is a member of the IGA Alliance and a licensed distribution center for IGA retailers in the western United States. The 17 IGA stores are:
California:
- Alpine Creek Market IGA, Alpine;
- Big Trees IGA, Arnold;
- Keith's Family Food Center IGA, Covelo;
- Pokerville IGA Market, Plymouth;
- Worton's Market IGA, Foresthill
Oregon:
- C.E. Lovejoy's Brookswood Market IGA, Bend;
- Kenny's IGA Food Liner, Lincoln City;
- Kenny's IGA Village Market, Lincoln City;
- Sunriver Country Store IGA, Sunriver;
- Sunriver Marketplace IGA, Sunriver;
- St. Helens IGA Market Fresh, St Helen
Washington:
- Allen Creek IGA Market Fresh, Marysville;
- Goldendale IGA Market Fresh, Goldendale;
- Granite Falls IGA Market Fresh, Granite Falls;
- Hood Canal IGA, Hoodsport;
- Kingston IGA Market Fresh, Kingston;
- Toledo IGA Market Fresh, Toledo
IGA is a global voluntary supermarket network with aggregate worldwide retail sales of more than $21 billion per year. The Alliance includes more than 4,400 Hometown Proud Supermarkets in 44 countries of the world, supported by 36 distribution companies and more than 55 major manufacturers, vendors, and suppliers encompassing everything from grocery to equipment items.