In late December, Meijer began donating products from their West Michigan stores to the Food Bank. Week by week, more stores participated in the program. By the end of January, Feeding America West Michigan had picked up more than 8,800 pounds of good food that previously would have gone to the dumpster.
The Food Bank is now collecting items from about half of the Meijer stores in West Michigan and has plans to expand to the rest of the 28 stores in the region.
In January, Meijer donated two truck tractors to add to our fleet. This is the second year that the retailer has donated reconditioned vehicles to us. In the past year, the company donated more than 18 tractors to food banks and educational institutions throughout the Midwest.
“We will be using the restored tractors for picking up food donations, as well as food delivery within our 40-county service area, which includes the Upper Peninsula, and the west side of the state down to St. Joseph,” said Tim Johnson, a Food Bank driver. “Having access to this refurbished equipment helps us to serve the many hungry families in West Michigan.”
Meijer is also working with Feeding America food banks in other states, and eventually plans to have food rescue in all 197 of their stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky.
Helping fight hunger has been a primary focus of Meijer for many years. They support the communities where their customers and team members work and live. The company annually donates millions of pounds of food to local food banks and pantries, and has generated more than $2.3 million in donations to local food banks through its Simply Give program.