$107,644 Donated to Two Regional Food Banks

Local residents joined in Walmart’s ‘Fight Hunger. Spark Change.’ campaign to secure $81,537 for Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, $26,106 for Westmoreland County Food Bank

 Initiative generated over $10 million nationwide to help Feeding America, affiliate food banks

Two regional food banks will share $107,644 in grants through Walmart’s “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” campaign to support those facing hunger in local communities. Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank will receive $81,537 and Westmoreland County Food Bank will get $26,106 thanks to area families who rallied together to support the “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” campaign, which raised more than $10 million to support Feeding America and its affiliate food banks across the country.

The “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” campaign offered customers the opportunity to help fight hunger from April 6 to May 3, 2015, by making a donation to their local Feeding America food bank at a Walmart register, or purchasing select products from some of the nation’s leading food companies: Campbell’s, ConAgra Foods, General Mills, Kellogg Company, Kraft, and Unilever. In addition, the public participated in the #WeSparkChange social media challenge. Customers were asked to take a picture of six friends who share their commitment to fight hunger and post a public picture on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #WeSparkChange. For each post, Walmart donated $10 to Feeding America on behalf of its affiliate food banks.

Hunger is a nationwide problem with local implications in every community across the United States. One in six people in America will struggle with hunger at some point during the year, according to the USDA. In southwestern Pennsylvania, 20 percent of children are food insecure and more than 34,600 seniors are living in poverty.

“I truly believe that when the entire community works together, we can solve hunger,” said Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, President & CEO Lisa Scales. “Thanks to Walmart’s continued support of the fight against hunger through the ‘Fight Hunger. Spark Change.’ campaign and the community that rallied in support of it, we will be able to provide over 400,000 meals to children in our region.”

“We are very grateful for the dollars raised through Walmart’s ‘Fight Hunger. Spark Change.’ campaign. With decreasing funding from our county, state and federal governments, and at the same time, ever increasing need, campaigns such as this that raise money have become more crucial than ever in the fight against hunger in our great nation. Without drives like this, we would never be able to address as much of the need as we do in Westmoreland County. Thank you, Walmart,” Westmoreland County Food Bank CEO Kris M. Douglas said.

“We take pride in giving back to local communities and empowering residents to support their neighbors in need. This spring, customers across the country jumped into action to fight hunger, and the results were truly extraordinary,” said Karrie Dennison, director of Hunger and Nutrition for Walmart and the Walmart Foundation. “With 49 million Americans struggling with hunger today, we are dedicated to helping families access affordable, nutritious and sustainably grown food. With the support of our customers, associates and Feeding America, we will continue our work to help every family have access to the food they need.”

The “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” campaign is just one step towards Walmart’s larger commitment to provide meals to those in need, helping ensure every family has access to affordable, nutritious and sustainably grown food. As the nation’s largest grocer, Walmart is in a unique leadership position to help impact the issue of hunger in the United States. Last year, Walmart announced a commitment to create a more sustainable food system, with a focus on improving the affordability of food by lowering the “true cost” of food for both customers and the environment, increasing access to food, making healthier eating easier, and improving the safety and transparency of the food chain. This commitment includes a goal of providing four billion meals to those in need in the U.S. over the next five years.

CONTACT
Jennifer Miller
Development Director
724.468.8660 x 15
jennifer@westmorelandfoodbank.org