Join Walmart and Sam’s Club in Fighting Hunger This Month
The company’s 12th annual Fight Hunger. Spark Change campaign takes place during March and supports neighbors in your community who are food insecure.
Anna, a neighbor who visits North Texas Food Bank partner pantry White Rock Center of Hope
Helon Walton used to say, “it’s not what you gather but what you scatter that tells the kind of life you have lived.”
The words from Walmart’s cofounder perfectly describe why the company’s annual Fight Hunger. Spark Change campaign is so important, says Chuck Sparks, a Market People Partner in Dallas-Fort Worth.
Now in its 12th year, the campaign runs in Walmart and Sam’s Club stores and online throughout the month of March. It gives shoppers a chance to support their neighbors facing hunger. Shoppers can donate by rounding up at checkout, by purchasing participating products in store or online or by donating at feedingamerica.org/walmart or feedingamerica.org/samsclub.
“Giving back to the community is such an important element of what Walmart is all about,” says Chuck, adding that every dollar raised in North Texas stays in the community and supports local neighbors through the North Texas Food Bank.
Nationwide, the campaign has generated more than $206 million since its inception in 2014, helping provide access to 2 billion meals for Feeding America’s network of food banks, including NTFB.
“The Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign provides vital food to the 664,000 individuals experiencing hunger across the 12 counties we serve, with nearly 40 percent of them being children,” says Trisha Cunningham, NTFB President and CEO. “Corporate partnerships are essential to our mission, and we wouldn’t be able to meet the increasing need for food assistance without their trust, collaboration, and support.”
Beyond its support of meals in North Texas, the Walmart Foundation recently enabled grants at four NTFB partner agencies.
White Rock Center of Hope is one of the recipients. The partner in East Dallas transformed its pantry setting with the support of a grant, adding grocery carts, produce coolers, a freezer merchandiser, gondola shelving, bins and other materials. The purchases allow the pantry to serve more efficiently, to ensure food stays fresh longer and it gives neighbors the opportunity to select the groceries they want and will use. Prior to the grant, volunteers packed boxes of food and handed them to neighbors.
“It offers a whole other level of dignity and respect,” says Kaylan VanPelt, Director of Neighbor Services. “Just because our neighbors are in a spot in their lives when they need a little bit of extra help, we don’t want them to feel like they deserve less.”
Anna, a neighbor who started visiting the pantry a few years ago, says she was grateful for the boxes of food she received but she loves the ability to select her food so that she’s not taking anything she and her husband won’t use.
“I’m very, very grateful and I love that it’s set up like a supermarket now,” she says. Living on social security, Anna says that the higher cost of groceries has made it tough for them to afford everything they need. Being able to select fruits, vegetables and staples like rice makes a tremendous difference.
“We are tightening our belt, but this, it’s really amazing,” she says.
Crystal Fox, manager of the Walmart in Sachse, says there’s no reason for someone to be without food and she’s grateful Walmart and its employees are involved in ensuring everyone has access to groceries.
“Being with a company that allows me to do that and spread the love with my team is important to me,” she says.
To find out more about how to participate in the Fight Hunger. Spark Change campaign here.