Meijer Customers Can Help Wisconsin Food Pantries

MILWAUKEE COUNTY, WI— Meijer announced on Thursday it is giving an extra $1 million to its Simply Give food pantry partners across the Midwest. The donation comes on the heels of the $7.6 million the program generated throughout 2020, according to a news release.

“It has become clearer just how vital food pantries are to an increasing number of families, and we recognize the continued strain COVID-19 has placed on them as they struggle to keep their shelves stocked,” Meijer President & CEO Rick Keyes said. “We believe the Simply Give program makes a tremendous difference in the communities we serve and are happy to make this additional contribution.”

The $1 million gift will be divided equally among the retailer’s 347 food pantry partners that participated in the 2020 Simply Give program. It also brings the program’s overall Simply Give donation to more than $62 million – or 620 million meals – since the program’s 2008 inception. According to Feeding America, $1 equals 10 meals.

The retailer’s winter Simply Give campaign is already underway. Customers can help stock the shelves of a food pantry in their community by purchasing a $10 Simply Give donation card upon checkout at their local Meijer now through April 10. At the end of the campaign, the donation cards are then converted into food-only gift cards and given to the store’s partner food pantry.

On March 13 and April 3, Meijer will double match any Simply Give cards purchased, effectively tripling a customer’s contribution. Meijer customers shopping online using Meijer pickup or home delivery can also purchase Simply Give donation cards as an add-on to their orders.

Meijer is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer that operates 256 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin.

Patch has teamed with Feeding America to help raise awareness on behalf of the millions of Americans facing hunger. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks across the country, estimates that in 2020, more than 50 million Americans will not have enough nutritious food to eat due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.