BJ's Wholesale Club's Feeding Communities Program Donates 15 Million Pounds of Food, Equating to 12 Million Meals, Since Program's Inception

WESTBOROUGH, Mass., Feb. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Today BJ's Wholesale Club announced its Feeding Communities program achieved a major milestone by donating 15 million pounds of nutritious food to local food banks since the program began in November 2011. The 15 million pounds of food equates to 12 million meals to feed people who struggle to provide adequate food for their families.  

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Partnering with Feeding America, the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief organization, each of BJ's 201 Clubs donated its unsold produce, dairy, meat and fish to 44 local food banks and 4 agencies in the company's 15-state footprint.

"When BJ's Wholesale Club first began exploring what else we could do to better support the communities in which we have clubs, helping to feed the hungry seemed to be a natural fit given that BJ's is a destination for the weekly food shop," said Jessica Newman, assistant vice president of community affairs at BJ's. "One of the key tenants of our values at BJ's is giving back; so helping  our neighbors exemplifies who the company is, which is something that our Members have come to value."

According to Feeding America, millions of people who face hunger are hard-working adults as well as vulnerable seniors and children, many of whom do not always know where their next meal will come from and may have  to go without. So everyday BJ's team members gather unsold and much needed vegetables, dairy items (eggs, milk, cheeses), fish, fresh fruits and meats (chicken, pork, beef) and prepare it for pick up by local food banks.  After pick up, the food banks sort and prepare the food for distribution to those who are in need within the community.

"Feeding America's commitment to providing the healthiest options for our clients has made BJ's longstanding partnership invaluable," said Leah Ray, vice president of corporate partnerships. "Their donated items reach nearly a quarter of our local food banks helping thousands of families to become more food secure."

In addition to donating 15 million pounds of food, BJ's further supports each of the 201 communities with clubs through the BJ's Charitable Foundation, which has donated more than $19 million to 2,200 community organizations since 2005, and through BJ's Adopt-a-School Program, which has served 2,575 elementary schools since 1996.

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 200 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 is the nationwide network of more than 200 food banks that leads the fight against hunger in the United States. Together, we provide food to more than 37 million people through 61,000 food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters in communities across America. Feeding America also supports programs that improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate.  Together we can solve hunger. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

SOURCE BJ's Wholesale Club