Walmart teams up with suppliers, Feed America to fight hunger

Walmart Stores, Campbell Soup, General Mills, Kellogg, Kraft Heinz and Pepsico are teaming up in the “Fight Hunger, Spark Challenge” initiative and soliciting public participation in this hunger relief effort.

The retailer announced three ways the public can participate as it plans to donate up to $3 million to Feeding America based on the public’s participation level. From March 28 through April 25 Walmart said consumers can join the effort in one of the three ways:
• Purchase participating products in Walmart stores to help provide meals for families who struggle with hunger in your local community. Walmart said the manufacturers will donate a minimum of 9 cents to Feed America, which is the cost to secure one meal on behalf of local food banks. Manufacturer donations vary from product to product but each package will display to the amount of donation to be made once the product is purchased.

• Consumers can support the effort online by using #FightHunger on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. For each time #FightHunger is shared, Walmart said it will donate enough money to provide 10 meals – 90 cents – on behalf of member food banks, up to $1.5 million.

• Walmart is asking consumers to also consider donating cash to their local Feeding America food banks at the register during checkout.

Combining Walmart’s donation with supplier donations through product purchases and customer donations at the register, the campaign has a goal of helping Feeding America secure 75 million meals on behalf of its member food banks. Walmart said the overall theme of this campaign is also raise public awareness on the hunger issue.

“This campaign is a great example of our long-standing commitment to hunger relief and dedication to ensuring every family has access to affordable, healthier and sustainably grown food,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, president of the Walmart Foundation and chief sustainability officer for Walmart. “Successful partnerships are the key to making a positive impact on the issue of hunger in the U.S. and we’re proud to once again work with Feeding America, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to fighting hunger.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that 48 million people in America, including more than 15 million children, struggle with hunger in that they do not know where their next meal will come from.