TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — In west central Indiana, one out of every six people, and an estimated one in four children, could experience food insecurity in 2021 due to the ongoing economic fallout from COVID-19.
That is why Walmart and Sam’s Club are supporting the Feeding America nationwide network of food banks, including Terre Haute Catholic Charities Foodbank, through a campaign called “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” Now in its eighth year, the campaign has been a way for Walmart and Sam’s Club to help provide food to people in need.
Jennifer Buell, assistant agency director for Terre Haute Catholic Charities, said, “We saw in 2020 the largest amount of food that has ever gone through our warehouse and that was 5.7 million pounds. That’s a huge increase over our prior years of about 3.3 million pounds.”
“Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” will run in stores and online from April 5 – May 3, 2021. There are three easy ways to participate:
- Donate at check-out in stores and clubs, or at either www.FeedingAmerica.org/Walmart or www.FeedingAmerica.org/SamsClub.
- Round-up at check-out on Walmart.com and the Walmart app.
- For every participating product purchased in store or online at Walmart.com or SamsClub.com, the supplier will donate the monetary equivalent of at least one meal ($0.10) on behalf of a Feeding America member food bank at Walmart and five meals ($0.50) at Sam’s Club, up to applicable limits. See specially marked packages for full details.
“Our community has faced a number of challenges this past year and we have worked hard to serve our neighbors in their time of need. In 2020, our Foodbank distributed more food than ever before, 5.7 million pounds and we saw many families who were needing assistance for the very first time,” John Etling, Agency Director. “Terre Haute Catholic Charities Foodbank is grateful for Walmart, Sam’s Club and their suppliers, members and customers for their generous support.”
“Central to our mission at Walmart is helping people live better and that includes ensuring they have access to nutritious food. In its eighth year, Fight Hunger. Spark Change. continues to provide communities a way to support local food banks alongside their neighbors, trusted brands and their local Walmart and Sam’s Club,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, executive vice president and chief sustainability officer for Walmart.
“The need is significant. The demand is there. We can only do that with partners like Walmart, Sam’s, the other retailers in the communities and certainly through our donors,” Buell said.
The 27 participating suppliers include: Abbott, Bodyarmor, Bush Brothers & Company, Campbell Soup Company, Clif Bar & Company, Ferrera Candy Company, General Mills, Great Value, Iovate Health Sciences, J.M. Smucker, Kellogg’s, Keurig/Mott’s, Kitu Coffee, Kraft Heinz, Materne North America, Mighty Spark, Monster Energy, PEPSICO, Post Consumer Brands, Purina, Simply Good Foods, Strong Roots, The Coca-Cola Company, The Clorox Company, This Saves Lives, Unilever and United States Nutrition.