Chicago Community Joins Walmart’s “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” Campaign

Walmart recently announced that Chicago residents generated more than $109,200 for Greater Chicago Food Depository to help fight hunger in Cook County, Illinois. Walmart’s “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” campaign encouraged people across the nation to take action against hunger and help families in need through simple acts of support online and in-store purchases and donations. Nationwide, the campaign raised more than $17.4 million to support the Feeding America nationwide network of food banks.

The “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” campaign called on the public to take action and help fight hunger from March 28 to April 25, 2016 by sharing campaign messages via social media, donating to local Feeding America food banks in-store at the Walmart register, or purchasing select products from some of the nation’s leading food companies: Campbell Soup Company, General Mills, Kellogg Company, the Kraft Heinz Company and PepsiCo.

With one in seven Americans currently struggling with hunger nationally, according to the USDA, hunger is a problem that also has local implications in every community across the United States. Here in Cook County, more than 729,000 people face hunger.

“We extend our thanks to everyone who participated in the “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” campaign and helped secure nutritious meals for our neighbors in need,” said Kate Maehr, Executive Director and CEO of the Greater Chicago Food Depository. ”We’re thrilled with the campaign results, which will go a long way in helping us provide meals for children and families who turn to our network throughout the year.”

“We take pride in giving back to local communities and empowering residents to support their neighbors in need. This spring, it was great to see how many people across the country took action online and in-store to fight hunger. The results of the campaign are extraordinary and well surpassed our goals,” said Karrie Denniston, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Walmart Foundation. “With 48 million Americans struggling with hunger today, Walmart is dedicated to helping families access affordable, nutritious and sustainably grown food and we’re proud to continue our work with Feeding America, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to fighting hunger.”

The “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.’’ campaign is part of Walmart’s larger commitment to provide meals to those in need. As the nation’s largest grocer, Walmart is in a unique leadership position to positively impact the issue of hunger in the United States. In October 2014, Walmart announced a commitment to create a more sustainable food system, with a focus on improving the affordability of food by lowering the “true cost” of food for both customers and the environment, increasing access to food, making healthier eating easier, and improving the safety and transparency of the food chain. This commitment includes a goal of providing four billion meals to those in need in the U.S. by 2020.

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