Meijer Food Pantry Giving Tops $2M

With the conclusion of its most recent Simply Give food pantry donation program, Meijer has exceeded $2 million in total food donations and has helped to feed more than a quarter-million families throughout the Midwest.

“We appreciate the support and commitment of our generous customers, as we reach out to those in our local communities who need help in the fight against hunger,” said Janet Emerson, executive VP of operations for the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer. “We are extremely proud to have surpassed the $2 million donation mark and, with the support of our customers, plan to continue to help ease the burden of local food pantries.”

The program, which debuted in November 2008, aims to replenish the shelves of local food pantries in each city and town where a Meijer store is located. Since the inaugural donation drive, Meijer has held seven more Simply Give programs, each one running for approximately eight weeks.

The most recent Simply Give program began on March 20 and continued through May 14, and garnered more than $270,000 in donations for 195 local food pantries. The latest effort helped Meijer surpass the $2 million mark in total donations since the program was established.

The hunger-relief program allows shoppers to purchase $10 Meijer Food Pantry Donation Cards at special displays throughout the store, as well as inside Meijer gas stations and convenience shops. Simply Give donation cards are then converted into Meijer gift cards and divided equally among all the participating local food pantries. To help seed the program, Meijer also matches all donations up to a total of $100,000. Each Meijer store selects a local food pantry to receive that store’s donations.

Meijer donates more than 6 percent of its net profit annually to a large group of charities and organizations throughout the five states where its stores are located. The Simply Give program is created to make sure the benefits aid the very communities where specific Meijer stores are located.

Meijer operates 196 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky.