Independents Day of Giving Fights to End Hunger

June 21 has been designated as Independents Day of Giving by the National Grocers Association (NGA), NGA Research and Education Foundation (NGAREF) and Retailer Owned Food Distributors & Associates (ROFDA) to help fight hunger and raise community awareness. More than 1,600 independent grocers across the country are participating in the campaign.

“Contrary to popular belief, the highest demand for food is during the summer after the holiday food drives end, and the same people who were hungry on Christmas are still hungry in June,” said Peter J. Larkin, president and CEO of Arlington, Va.-based NGA. “Locally owned independent supermarkets have a long history of giving back to the communities they serve and are eager to work with shoppers to help restock their neighborhood’s food pantry by making a small contribution at the register.”

Shoppers have been encouraged to add $1, $3 or $5 donations to their grocery bills throughout the month of June, with special focus given to June 21, the first day of summer, to drive home the "fight hunger" message. Each contribution helps support local food banks that are members of the Feeding America nationwide network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs.

The donations are collected by Colorado Springs, Colo.-based Making Change, a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit, and redistributed back to the local communities of each participating independent supermarket by Chicago-based Feeding America.

Summer can be difficult for many families, with children out of school and eating two more meals at home. More than 22 million children in the United States receive free or reduced-price school lunches, and only 4 million (18 percent) receive free meals in the summer when school meals aren't as readily available, according to the 2016 USDA report on the National School Lunch Program.

“One of the most important missions of any supermarket operator and the wholesalers that serve them is to feed the families and support their communities,” said Francis Cameron, president and CEO of Pinson, Ala.-based ROFDA. “We’re excited to maximize the impact of the independent supermarket industry and give back to their communities.”