Your donation to Meijer’s Simply Give program enables massive checks like this one to Gleaners to go toward alleviating hunger across central Indiana. (Photo provided)
By STU CLAMPITT
news@readthereporter.com
Editor’s note: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is being partially funded during November even as the government shutdown appears to near its end. Hamilton County has a rich history of helping neighbors in need during difficult times. Among other things, there are food banks across the county and ample opportunities to help keep them stocked through fundraising events and direct donations. Today, The Reporter highlights Meijer’s efforts to bolster food pantries, including a $200,000 donation to Gleaners.
As food banks and pantries across its six-state footprint navigate new and ongoing hunger challenges, Midwest retailer Meijer has announced the donation of $4 million through its Simply Give hunger relief program.
The Reporter spoke with Eric Dean, Meijer’s Market Director for Indianapolis, about the full $4 million donation and the more local $200,000 given directly to Gleaners Food Bank during the final days of November. With a 21-county service area in central and southeastern Indiana, Gleaners supports one in seven Hoosiers facing hunger today.
Dean
“Simply Give is not brand new for us,” Dean said. “It’s been around for the past 17 years. All 270 of our stores partner with local food pantries. We sell Simply Give donation cards in the store. Customers can buy those in $10 increments and then Meyer matches that donation or that purchase and gives it to the local food bank. Then we have special offers around the holidays. Saturday, Dec. 13 we have a double match day where every customer that purchases a Simply Give food donation card Meyer double matches it so if a customer spends $10 Meyer will match $20 for a total of $30.”
Meijer also has a Thanksgiving promotion from Nov. 23 to 29 wherein they contribute one meal to each Simply Give food pantry partner when a customer purchases any Meijer brand product, including Frederik’s by Meijer, True Goodness, and Purple Cow food items.
“Simply Give goes year-round, and then we’ve got that promotion for Thanksgiving, and then a special double match day in December,” Dean said.
Meijer made a $4 million investment donation to food banks across the region Meijer serves.
“Gleaners was selected as an organization to receive $200,000 to help in their food relief efforts,” Dean said. “We partner with Gleaners. We know the type of work that they do. We want to thank them and continue to support them in fighting food insecurity in the communities that we serve.”
Dean runs the north Indianapolis market for Meijer. There is also a south Indianapolis market. Meijer coordinated both regions to participate in a volunteer event in late October. While packing Thanksgiving meals for Gleaners, Meijer was able to make the check presentation in front of their own volunteers as well as those from Gleaners.
“Our Indy team packed 850 Thanksgiving meals to ship out,” Dean said. “It was a great opportunity to support them with our labor as well.”
