Meijer Extends Hunger Relief Campaign Through End of Year to Serve Communities

Midwest retailer lengthens Simply Give campaigns as food pantries see increased demand resulting from COVID-19

News provided by

Aug 25, 2020, 12:30 ET

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Aug. 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Meijer announced today that its seasonal hunger relief program, Simply Give, will conduct back-to-back fall and holiday campaigns to ensure the maximum amount of support for food pantries trying to keep up with increased demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

"We recognize the strain the global pandemic is putting on our communities and we see it reflected in the difficulties our food pantry partners face as they work to keep their shelves stocked," Meijer President & CEO Rick Keyes said. "By extending our Simply Give campaigns to run the remainder of the year, we are making it easier for our customers to support their neighbors in need and increasing our commitment to ending hunger across our footprint."

Each Meijer Simply Give campaign replenishes the shelves of more than 250 food pantries in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Wisconsin. The program encourages customers to purchase $10 Simply Give donation cards, which are then converted into Meijer food-only gift cards and given to a local food pantry in the store's community. Each new campaign gives Meijer stores the opportunity to partner with a different local pantry in order to best serve their community.

The fall Simply Give campaign will run for nine weeks starting Sunday, Aug. 23 and ending Saturday, Oct. 24 – a four-week extension over previous fall campaigns. The holiday campaign will start immediately following the end of the fall campaign and run for the remainder of the year to continue to provide relief to local food pantries throughout the holiday season.

The fall campaign will feature two "double match days" – Friday, Sept. 11 and Saturday, Sept. 12. Meijer will double match every $10 donation card a customer purchases on those days, so that an additional $20 is added to the donation, tripling the impact of each customer's generosity.

"Food pantries continue to struggle as they manage the flood of requests they receive daily, especially given the difficult circumstances many families now face amidst the global pandemic," said Cathy Cooper, Senior Director of Community Partnerships and Giving for Meijer. "Simply Give is a way for Meijer customers to partner with us and support the food banks and pantries that feed families in need in their own communities. We certainly couldn't do it without the support and commitment of our generous customers and team members, who stand beside us in this effort."

Meijer has already donated more than $3 million to its food pantry partners this year, making donations to its food pantry partners in spring as COVID-19 began to take a toll on their supply and again in June on behalf of the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give. Since the Simply Give program began in November 2008, more than $57 million has been generated for food pantries in the Midwest to distribute to neighbors in need across the retailer's six state footprint.

About Meijer: Meijer is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer that operates 253 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin. A privately-owned and family-operated company since 1934, Meijer pioneered the "one-stop shopping" concept and has evolved through the years to include expanded fresh produce and meat departments, as well as pharmacies, comprehensive apparel departments, pet departments, garden centers, toys and electronics. For additional information on Meijer, please visit www.meijer.com. Follow Meijer on Twitter @twitter.com/Meijer and @twitter.com/MeijerPR or become a fan at www.facebook.com/meijer.