Taking place in stores and online, the 11th annual campaign supports local hunger relief efforts
(Riverside, CA – April 16th, 2024) – Everyone needs nutritious food to thrive, and in every community in America, people are working hard to provide for themselves and their families. Yet in 2022, 44 million people—1 in 7 people—faced food insecurity in the U.S.
Those are the highest numbers in a decade, underscoring the need for more charitable food assistance in the Inland Empire and beyond.
Now, for the 11th straight year, all U.S. Walmart stores and Sam’s Clubs are launching the Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign, with the goal of providing people facing hunger with access to the food and resources they say they need to thrive. Since its inception in 2014, the campaign has generated over $186 million and helped secure nearly 1.9 billion meals* for the Feeding America® network of local food banks.
“In the Inland Empire, our hunger relief initiatives collectively supply over 24 million meals yearly. However, this falls short of addressing the escalating demand within our community and the challenges posed by the increasing cost of living faced by our neighbors in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties,” said Carolyn (Solar) Fajardo, CEO of Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino (FARSB).
The campaign will run in stores and online from April 1-April 29, with three ways for shoppers to participate:
· By donating at check-out in stores or clubs or round up at Walmart.com and the Walmart app.
· By purchasing participating products in-store or online at Walmart.com or SamsClub.com. For every purchase of a participating product, the supplier will donate the monetary equivalent of at least one meal ($0.10) on behalf of a Feeding America partner food bank at Walmart and five meals ($0.50) at Sam’s Club, up to applicable limits. See specially marked packages for full details.
· By donating at Feeding America’s Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign donation site at either http://www.FeedingAmerica.org/Walmart or www.FeedingAmerica.org/SamsClub
“Serving communities and expanding access to affordable, healthy food lies at the heart of Walmart and Sam’s Club’s purpose to help people live better,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, Executive Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer, Walmart and President, Walmart Foundation. “Our annual Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign is a way that we invite our customers, members and suppliers to fight hunger alongside us. The funds raised through this campaign go toward local Feeding America food banks, meaning we can all make a difference in our own neighborhoods.”
The 20 participating suppliers for Walmart include: Bush Brothers & Company; CELSIUS® Essential Energy Drink; The Coca-Cola Company; Conagra Brands; Dole Packaged Foods; Ferrara; Ferrero; General Mills; Hain Celestial; Hershey Salty Snacks; Hidden Valley Ranch; Kellanova; W.K. Kellogg Company; Keurig Dr Pepper; Kodiak; Kraft Heinz; Monster Energy; Pepsi-Cola Advertising & Marketing, Inc.; Red Bull North America; Unilever
The 8 participating suppliers for Sam’s Club include: General Mills; W.K. Kellogg Company; Kraft Heinz; Nestlé; Nissin; Nongshim; Palmetto Gourmet Foods, A Borealis Foods Company; Unilever
For more information, visit https://www.feedingamericaie.org/alternative-giving.
*Currently, $1 helps provide at least 10 meals secured by Feeding America® on behalf of local partner food banks.
About Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino
Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino (FARSB) is leading the fight against hunger in the Inland Empire by providing food access, emergency relief, education, and advocacy to families in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. FARSB opened in 1980 as Survive Food Bank in response to the increasing concern about the dual problems of hunger and food waste in the Inland Empire. Today, FARSB is the primary food source for over 250 local nonprofit organizations, distributing over two million pounds of food monthly to emergency food pantries, soup kitchens, high-need elementary schools, senior centers, after-school programs, and more. With the help of these community partners, they make up the largest hunger-relief organization serving Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, ultimately making food security a reality for over one million households every year. Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino proudly holds the 2023 Guide Star Platinum Seal of Transparency, the highest level of transparency achievable through Guide Star. For more information, visit www.FeedingIE.org.
