Walmart raises nearly $40,000 for Hiawatha food bank - The Gazette

8th year for “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” Campaign

Barb Rood (left) and Marta Petermann grab food items to distribute during a Hawkeye Area Community Action Plan (HACAP) food reservoir pop-up, drive-thru food pantry on April 9. HACAP received nearly $40,000 from Walmart and Sam’s Club through their “Fight Hunger. Spark Change” campaign. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

HIAWATHA — The community of east central Iowa helped raise $39,332 for local families in need through the Walmart and Sam’s Club’s hunger campaign to support the HACAP Food Reservoir.

Walmart and Sam’s Club, through the “Fight Hunger. Spark Change” campaign for the eighth year, has engaged their customers and members, along with 27 participating suppliers to help fight hunger and feed hope.

“Our neighbors are facing difficult times, and one in nine are struggling to find their next meal,” said Kim Guardado, HACAP Food Reservoir director. “HACAP Food Reservoir is incredibly grateful for Walmart, Sam’s Club, their associates, suppliers, customers and members who helped to support the Fight Hunger. Spark Change campaign.”

Each Walmart and Sam’s Club was matched with at least one of 200 local Feeding America member food banks, one of which is HACAP. Through the campaign, shoppers made monetary donations at checkout or purchased participating items in stores or online to benefit their local food bank.

For every participating product purchased, the participating supplier made a donation to HACAP.

More than $26.5 million was raised this year through this campaign. Funds will benefit 200 Feeding America member food banks nationwide. Walmart kick-started the campaign with a $3 million donation, most of which supported food banks in communities with the highest rates of food insecurity and racial and access disparities.

Walmart and Sam’s Club provide donations of both food and funds to support programs at the Hiawatha food reservoir, Guardado said. Each of the Walmart and Sam’s Club locations in the service area is an important retail partner in HACAP’s food rescue program. Through those donations the food bank can provide community members with nutritious, filling food.

Hawkeye Area Community Action Program, Inc. (HACAP) is a community action agency that is helping people develop skills to become successful and build strong communities. HACAP serves 72,000 individuals annually, spanning across 45 initiatives including the HACAP Food Reservoir, a program that is at the heart of HACAP. The food reservoir serves seven counties and 150 partner agencies, mobile food pantries, senior totes, backpack programs and more.

Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com

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