Share Your Feast!
Share Your Feast!
11/29/2011
The Kroger Co.
5960 Castleway West Drive,
Indianapolis, IN 46250
Contact: John Elliott, Kroger spokesperson
Phone: 317-579-8222
FAX: 317-579-8093
E-Mail: john.elliott@kroger.com |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, November 3, 2011
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Kroger Launches its Largest Annual Food Drive – Share Your Feast – in Support of Local Food Banks and Food Pantries
Streamlined system simplifies the process and tallies customer contributions of $3, $5 or $10 pre-begged food or unlimited cash contributions in $1, $3 or $10 increments
Proceeds in 2010 totaled $249,433 in food equal to more than 1.5 million meals
Kroger Central Division’s total hunger relief support in 2010 totaled $7,994,369; we are on track to exceed that amount in 2011
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – November 3rd – The Kroger Co.’s Central Division will launch its largest annual food drive on Thursday, November 3rd. The annual “Share Your Feast” food drive in support of local food banks and food pantries runs from Thursday, November 3rd to Thursday, December 22nd. Each of Kroger Central Division’s 140 stores has been matched with a local food bank or food pantry. The campaign includes Central Division’s Kroger, Scott’s, Pay Less and Owen’s stores.
Kroger customers can purchase pre-bag food in $3, $5 and $10 bags. In addition, Kroger customers have the option of donating cash in increments of $1, $3 and $5. There is no limit to either pre-bag or cash contributions. Scan codes can be scanned multiple times to equal larger amounts.
Kroger has leveraged its leading edge technology to streamline its food drive process. The changes have reduced costs and made support of the food drive easier and less expensive for food bank and food pantry partners. Pre-bags will be reused and the point-of-sale system will track the number of $3, $5 and $10 pre-bags donated. At the end of the food drive, Kroger will total all pre-bag food donated, then Kroger will donate additional food to round up to full case quantities for each food bank and food pantry. Also, food banks and food pantries no longer need to make multiple trips to stores to empty donation bins. They will make one trip to one store at the end of the food drive.
Donating full case quantities reduces staff and volunteer time for food banks and food pantries in unpacking, sorting and shelving loose items from the pre-bags. Large collection bins still are in place in all Kroger stores for customers who prefer to donate loose, non-perishable food items. Pre-bags no longer will be placed in these collection bins.
Kroger Quote:
Kroger Central Division Public Affairs Manager John Elliott said, “There is no cause more important than feeding our hungry neighbors, especially now as so many families are struggling. Even as we see signs of an improving economy, there are many local families who are hungry. We are hopeful this food drive will exceed the results of 2010’s Share Your Feast food drive that brought in $249,433 worth of food or more than 2,238,500 meals across our division, benefitting nine regional food banks and 69 local food pantries. Our 2010 Scouting for Food drive collected $187,216 or nearly 150,000 meals. As one of three partners in this year’s Senator Richard Lugar’s Hoosiers Fighting Hunger food drive, as well as the largest single-day food drive in the country in Decatur, Illinois that brought in more than 400,000 pounds of food equal to more than 312,000 meals, we are setting one record after another in helping feed hungry families amidst a need that has increased as much as 40 percent in some local communities. With the significant increase in food donations through the Perishable Donation Partnership, Central Division’s total food and financial donations in local communities in 2010 totaled $7,994,369. We are on track to exceed that amount in 2011. It is truly heart-warming to see generosity from our associates and our customers continue to increase to meet the need.”
The Kroger Central Division has 140 food stores, 116 pharmacies and 65 fuel centers operating under four banners; Kroger, Scott’s, Owen’s, and Pay Less, with locations primarily in Indiana and Illinois, in addition to five stores in Missouri, one in Michigan and one in Ohio. Kroger Central Division is dedicated to supporting every local community it serves, contributing more than $11.7 million in 2009 to local organizations, primarily focusing on hunger relief, K-12 education, health causes and diversity. At Kroger we value: honesty, respect, inclusion, diversity, safety and integrity.
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