Belly and 7-Eleven Launch 'Give A Little & Do Great' Meal Donation Program in Chicago

CHICAGO, Nov. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Belly and 7-Eleven, Inc. today launched "Give a Little & Do Great," a joint program running until Dec. 2 at all participating Chicago 7-Eleven® store locations. The two companies will donate a meal to the Greater Chicago Food Depository each time a Belly Member redeems the 10-Point Reward for this cause.

Founded in 1979, The Food Depository works with 650 pantries, food kitchens, shelters, children and adult programs across the greater Chicago-area's Cook County to address the root causes of hunger. Each year it provides multiple millions of pounds of shelf-stable food, fresh produce, dairy products and meat equating to 150,000 meals each day.

The Give a Little & Do Great program marks the largest philanthropic partnership Belly has launched to date. By collaborating with the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Belly offers its members an easy way to do good by donating their reward points to a charitable organization, rather than redeeming them for food items and other in-store goods, services and experiential rewards. The program makes it easy for anyone to participate. Every time a member accumulates 10 points (two visits) and redeems the "Give A Little" reward on the in-store Belly tablet, Belly and 7-Eleven will donate a meal to the Greater Chicago Food Depository on that member's behalf.

"Belly tablets at Chicago 7-Eleven stores are the vehicle making it easy for our members to make a difference in their neighborhood," said Ryan Jeffery, Belly Vice President of Business Development. "The Greater Chicago Food Depository's programs address the causes of hunger while working to feed as many area needy families as possible.

"We are excited to partner with 7-Eleven in this effort and to give our Belly Members an easy way to minimize hunger among their neighbors," Jeffery said.

In support of today's joint launch with 7-Eleven, Belly is encouraging its 7-Eleven members to head to participating locations and to select the 10-Point "Give A Little To Donate A Meal To The Greater Chicago Food Depository" Reward. Belly and 7-Eleven plan to announce the total number of meals donated on "Giving Tuesday," which falls on Dec. 3 this year.

"This initiative is an extension of the continued hunger relief efforts at 7-Eleven," said Laura Gordon, Vice President of Marketing and Brand Innovation for Dallas-based 7-Eleven, Inc. "The Belly program offers a new way for our guests to give back just by shopping at our stores."

Said Kate Maehr, Executive Director and CEO of the Food Depository, "The Give A Little & Do Great initiative comes at a time when 1 in 6 people in our community are unsure when they will receive their next meal. We are thankful for the support of Belly and 7-Eleven and look forward to the additional awareness of hunger in our community and impact for struggling families throughout Cook County."

In addition to its pilot program with 7-Eleven, Belly is currently installed in more than 1,700 Chicago businesses. It has more than 400,000 active members in Chicago, and nationally is installed in more than 8,000 businesses.

About the Greater Chicago Food Depository:
The Greater Chicago Food Depository, Chicago's food bank, is a nonprofit food distribution and training center providing food for hungry people while striving to end hunger in our community. The Food Depository, founded in 1979, makes a daily impact across Cook County with a network of 650 pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, mobile programs, children's programs, older adult programs and innovative responses that address the root causes of hunger. Last year, the Food Depository distributed 66 million pounds of shelf-stable food, fresh produce, dairy products and meat, the equivalent of 150,000 meals every day. For more information, visit chicagosfoodbank.org or call 773-247-FOOD.

About 7-Eleven, Inc.:
7-Eleven, Inc. is the premier name and largest chain in the convenience retailing industry. Based in Dallas, Texas, 7-Eleven operates, franchises or licenses more than 10,200 7-Eleven® stores in North America. Globally, there are close to 51,700 7-Eleven stores in 16 countries. During 2012, 7-Eleven stores generated total worldwide sales close to $84.8 billion. 7-Eleven has been honored by a number of companies and organizations recently. Accolades include: #2 on Forbes magazine's 2011 list of Top Franchises for the Money; #3 spot on Entrepreneur magazine's Franchise 500 list for 2012, #3 in Forbes magazine's Top 20 Franchises to Start, and #2 in Franchise Times Top 200 Franchise Companies. 7-Eleven is No. 3 on Fast Company magazine's 2013 list of the "World's Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Retail" and among the Top Veteran-Friendly Companies for 2013 by U.S. Veterans Magazine. Hispanic Magazine named 7-Eleven among its Hispanic Corporate Top 100 Companies that provide the most opportunities to Hispanics. 7-Eleven received the 2010 Retailer of the Year honor from PL Buyer because of the company's private-label brand initiative. 7-Eleven is franchising its stores in the U.S. and expanding through organic growth, acquisitions and its Business Conversion Program. Find out more online at www.7-Eleven.com.

About Belly:
Belly is the leading loyalty platform in the country. With thousands of merchants and millions of members, Belly revolutionizes traditional loyalty concepts and works with each business to design a customized, unique rewards suite their customers actually want. Using a tablet and single card or iPhone or Android app, Belly unlocks new opportunities for customer engagement and digital advocacy. Belly is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois and received funding from Andreessen Horowitz, Silicon Valley Bank, Lightbank, NEA, DAG Ventures, Cisco, and 7-Ventures, LLC (a subsidiary of 7-Eleven, Inc.). For more information, visit www.bellycard.com.

SOURCE Belly