BJ's Wholesale Club Launches Feeding Communities Program

WESTBOROUGH, Mass., Nov. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- BJ's Wholesale Club today announced its company-wide philanthropic initiative to help end hunger, the "BJ's Feeding Communities" program which will result in 10 million pounds of fresh produce and frozen meat and fish donated annually. In partnership with Feeding America, the nation's leading domestic hunger relief organization, more than 190 BJ's Wholesale Clubs will donate unsold produce, meat and fish to 44 food banks in the company's 15-state footprint.

According to Feeding America, one in six Americans does not have access to enough food to sustain a healthy lifestyle.  BJ's Feeding Communities program helps address this issue by partnering BJ's Clubs with local Feeding America food banks. Every day BJ's team members gather unsold food from their Clubs, including in-demand fresh fruits, vegetables and meat, and prepare it for delivery directly to the food bank where it is sorted and prepared for distribution.

"With so many individuals unable to obtain a healthy, fully-balanced meal and with national funding for food banks, soup kitchens and food pantries recently being cut by 40%, it is senseless to throw away perfectly good, nutritious food, such as a ripe banana, just because it is about to reach its peak of freshness and will not sell in our Club," said Laura Sen, CEO of BJ's Wholesale Club.  "BJ's has the resources, means and responsibility to assist our communities, and we're proud to partner with Feeding America and the local food banks to help put an end to hunger through our Feeding Communities program."

Another major challenge in fighting hunger is transporting food from BJ's Clubs to the Feeding America food banks, to the hunger relief agencies and then to the individuals who need it. To assist with this logistical issue, BJ's is committing $150,000 to Feeding America and inviting the Facebook community to help provide additional support through the "Tell Hunger to Hit the Road" campaign on BJ's Facebook page. For every new "like" or "share," BJ's will donate an additional $1 to Feeding America on top of the $150,000 that the company has already committed to address the transportation costs. BJ's monetary donation will go directly to Feeding America to assist in the transportation costs associated with delivering food to the areas in need.

"The rising price of gas and the costs associated with delivering food to food banks and hunger-relief agencies is a major road block," said Vicki Escarra, President and CEO of Feeding America. "By inviting the Facebook community to 'Tell Hunger to Hit the Road,' BJ's is helping Feeding America tackle this problem and will help ensure that the food ultimately ends up on the tables of those who need it most."

The "Tell Hunger to Hit the Road" campaign will run from November 1 through December 31. For more information about BJ's Feeding Communities program or to "Tell Hunger to Hit the Road," visit Facebook.com/bjswholesaleclub. For more information on Feeding America and ways in which to fight hunger, visit www.FeedingAmerica.org.

About BJ's Wholesale Club

BJ's is dedicated to providing members with high-quality, brand-name food and merchandise at prices that are significantly lower than supermarkets, supercenters, department stores, drug stores and specialty retail stores.  BJ's carries the most product variety of any Membership club with more than 7,000 items, including supermarket-sized staples, USDA Choice meats and stock-up items, as well as all-natural and organic products. BJ's is the only membership club to accept all manufacturers' coupons and for greater convenience, offers the most payment options including EBT.

Headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts, BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc. is a leading operator of warehouse clubs in the eastern United States.  The Company currently operates 192 clubs and in 15 eastern states.  Learn more and shop online at BJs.com or for exclusive content visit Facebook.com/bjswholesaleclub and Twitter.com/bjswholesale.

About Feeding America

Feeding America provides low-income individuals and families with the fuel to survive and even thrive. As the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity, our network members supply food to more than 37 million Americans each year, including 14 million children and 3 million seniors. Serving the entire United States, more than 200 member food banks support 61,000 agencies that address hunger in all of its forms. For more information on how you can fight hunger in your community and across the country, visit http://www.feedingamerica.org. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/FeedingAmerica or follow our news on Twitter at twitter.com/FeedingAmerica.

SOURCE BJ's Wholesale Club