Kroger Donates 50 Million Pounds of Fresh Food
The Kroger Co. donated more than 50 million pounds of fresh meat, produce, dairy and bakery items to local Feeding America food banks in 2013 through its groundbreaking Perishable Donations Partnership.
The Cincinnati-based grocer says that is enough bread, meat, cheese and produce to lay 3,700 miles of Kroger's classic deli sandwiches side-by-side from Washington, D.C., through Houston to southern Oregon. This also equates to more than 25,000 tons of perishable food waste diverted away from landfills and incinerators last year.
Coinciding with Hunger Action Month, Feeding America's month-long campaign to inspire individuals to take action to help end hunger in their communities, Kroger is raising awareness about food insecurity with customers and associates throughout September through social media, store signage and more.
Perishable Donations Partnership
Kroger's Fred Meyer division pioneered the Perishable Donations Partnership about 10 years ago. Stores partnered with local food banks in the Pacific Northwest to collect fresh food and properly store it so it could be quickly shipped to reach hungry families. Kroger adopted Fred Meyer's model and worked with Feeding America to develop food safety and quality control standards, and trained associates to facilitate the program in their stores.
Scaled across Kroger's family of stores beginning in 2008, Kroger's Perishable Donations Partnership program depends on store associates taking the time every day to identify meat, produce, dairy and bakery items that can no longer be sold yet remain safe, fresh and nutritious complements to dry goods donations to food banks.
"Our associates bring our Perishable Donations Program to life," said Lynn Marmer, Kroger's group VP of corporate affairs. "Every day in our stores, individual associates rescue healthy, nutritious fruits, vegetables and proteins to be quickly distributed to feed hungry families through Feeding America's network of food banks."
As a founding partner of Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger agency, Kroger has been engaged in the hunger relief effort for more than 30 years. Today, the Kroger family of stores has longstanding relationships with more than 100 local food banks. The company's total contribution to food banks exceeds 200 million meals annually – or four million meals every week – when combining perishable foods, dry goods, and funds.
Kroger operates 2,640 supermarkets and multidepartment stores in 34 states and the District of Columbia under two dozen local banner names including Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry's, Harris Teeter, Jay C, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs and Smith's.