Meijer, Chicagoland Italian American Charitable Organization Partner to Ensure Memorable Thanksgiving Meal for 500 Families in Need

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Nov. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Meijer is strongly committed to giving back to the communities it serves, and is proud to partner with the Chicagoland Italian American Charitable Organization (CIACO) to give families in need a memorable Thanksgiving meal, announced Brian Murty, Group Vice President of Operations for Meijer's Western Region, today.

The Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer donated nearly $10,000 in gift cards, which were used to buy food to create "Baskets of Love" for 500 Chicago-area families this Thanksgiving. Additionally, Chicago-area Meijer employees will volunteer their time to help pack and deliver the baskets. Each basket weighs more than 50 pounds, and contains a turkey, pasta sauce, stuffing, canned cranberries, and more.

"Meijer is pleased to be a part of such a worthwhile community tradition that helps brighten families' spirits as they gather together for the holidays," Murty said. "Meijer is committed to helping the community and giving back to those in need."

The families receiving the "Baskets of Love" were identified through churches, shelters and other area organizations that assist people in need. Families will receive the baskets, which are packed by CIACO members, Meijer volunteers, students and community volunteers, from 10 a.m. to noon on Sunday, Nov. 20 at the Buona Beef Commissary, 6833 W. Roosevelt Rd., in Berwyn, Il.  

Rich and Joni Rasmussen are grateful to be able to share a home-cooked Thanksgiving meal with their son – something they would not have otherwise been able to do. The Hoffman Estates couple is unemployed, and learned about "Baskets of Love" at the Willow Creek Care Center, a food pantry where they volunteer and participate.

"We feel very blessed and in awe that they are able to be so generous, not only for us but for all the participants," Joni Rasmussen said. "We're overwhelmed with joy. It's very humbling."

CIACO "Baskets of Love" Committee Chairman Vito Cavallo said this event is one of the best they put on for families in need.

"We know that we are going to affect some families in a real positive way," he said. "We have received thank-you letters from families who told us that if it had not been for CIACO, Thanksgiving would have been just another Thursday. We greatly appreciate the support of Meijer and its team members."

Annually, Meijer donates more than 6 percent of its net profits to charity. Meijer opened its first Chicago-area store in Bolingbrook in 1999, and with the addition of the Meijer Marketplace in Melrose Park in August 2011, Meijer now has 14 stores in the Chicago area ranging in size from full supercenters to smaller, grocery-focused stores in Niles and Orland Park. Meijer employs nearly 3,000 team members in the Chicago area.

For more information on the "Baskets of Love" project, please visit www.ciaco.org. For more information on Meijer, please visit www.meijer.com or follow Meijer on Twitter @twitter.com/Meijer.

About Meijer: Meijer is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer that operates 197 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. As the inventor of the "one-stop shopping" concept, Meijer stores have evolved through the years to include expanded fresh produce and meat departments, as well as pharmacies, comprehensive electronics departments, garden centers and apparel offerings. Additional information on Meijer and the ability to shop for more can be found at www.meijer.com.

About Chicago Italian American Charitable Organization: Originally founded in the late 1970's as the Chicago Chapter of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame, members of CIACO have been fixtures in the Chicagoland charitable community for more than 25 years. In 1998, community members formed their own organization singularly devoted to helping people in need, and CIACO was born. Today, CIACO is a non-profit organization based in Bloomingdale, Ill. that aims to help those in need. The group relies on member fundraising and corporate sponsorships to award nearly $500,000 in scholarships to date, provide toys to children at Christmas, and since 1995, distribute food baskets to families for Thanksgiving.

SOURCE Meijer