Day 40: Food Bank Donation at the Grocery

When we went grocery shopping at Smith's this morning, a Kroger store, they had a Christmas tree with Bringing Hope to the Table Donation tags as ornaments at the front of the store. Each tag  had a different donation amount on it so you can choose one to fit your budget. Then you just bring the tag to the register with the rest of your groceries, at check out time, and they scan it and that amount gets taken out and given to a local food bank to help feed the hungry. The Smith's by us donates it's donations to the Road Runner Food Bank. We didn't choose an expensive donation tag today but it was still nice to be able to help someone else who needs  food while we were lucky enough to be shopping for all the food we need and want.

Here is a little more about the Kroger Company and their Bringing Hope to the Table program:

For 1 in 6 people across our country, hunger is a reality. 

          • 37 million Americans don’t know where they will get their next meal.
          • 14 million of them are children.
          • 3 million of them are senior citizens.
          • 36% of these households have one or more working adults.
          • 48% of these households are in rural and suburban areas.

More families than ever are turning to local food banks and hunger agencies for help.

The Kroger Co. family of stores is donating $3 million in funds and $1 million in product to help feed those struggling with hunger through Bringing Hope to the Table ®, our annual cause-marketing partnership with Feeding America. Our customers and vendors are strong partners in this effort. Since its inception, the program has directed $20 million in funds and food to local food banks serving the communities across the country where we operate.

You Can Help Food banks are struggling to meet this unprecedented need - we can all help. Make a donation, write a letter, hold a food drive. Go toFeeding America to learn more about the face of hunger in our communities and find the local food bank helping to feed hungry children and families where you live. Leading the Fight to End Hunger in America For nearly 30 years, The Kroger Co. has helped lead the fight against hunger in the United States. Kroger is one of the founding members of Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity. In 2009, Kroger contributed 50 million pounds of food and other product to Feeding America food banks, to assist hungry families in the communities we serve. Valued at more than $75 million, those donations translate to roughly 60 million meals. Our ongoing commitment to bringing as much food as possible to hungry families led to the creation of a new Company-wide food rescue program, thePerishable Donations Partnership. The program allows fresh, wholesome food such as meat, produce and dairy products to be donated directly from our stores to local food banks that are able to safely handle perishable foods. In 2009 – the first full year of the project – more than 36 million pounds of perishable food was donated to local hunger relief efforts All of our regional divisions work closely with more than 200 local hunger relief agencies, including more than 80 local food banks in the Feeding America network. These food banks provide food and other personal items to pantries, soup kitchens and feeding programs for children, families and seniors. Our people give their time and talent to this important cause. Kroger executives and senior managers serve on the boards of local food banks and the Feeding America national organization. Associates volunteer to sort donations, stock shelves and pack care boxes