A regional non-profit organization recently received a large monetary donation from Wal-Mart to help fight food insecurity in Illinois. The Central Illinois Foodbank will be receiving $139,000 from the retail giant as a part of Wal-Mart’s “Fight Hunger, Spark Change” campaign, according to a press release from Wal-Mart today.
According to the release, Walmart and Sam’s Club customers and associates raised more than $735,000 for food banks throughout Illinois, helping them provide healthy, nutritious meals to individuals and families struggling to get enough to eat. Since 2014, the “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” campaign has helped raise more than $2.8 million for Illinois food banks, helping secure more than 1 billion meals for food banks nationwide.
The campaign is a part of Feeding America’s “Hunger Action Month,” which runs during the month of September each year. In Illinois last year, Walmart stores, Sam’s Clubs, and distribution centers donated more than 18 million lbs. of food to Illinois food banks and affiliated pantries. Last year, over 35% of total meals provided by Feeding America came from retail food donations and retail food rescue programs. The Central Illinois Foodbank distributes food and grocery items to over 16 non-profit feeding programs in twenty-one central and southern Illinois counties.