Kroger donates to Foodbank
Published 7:06 pm Thursday, January 21, 2016
From left, Jared Stiegelmeyer, Kroger Co. grocery coordinator; Scott Richards, food sourcing manager; Marianne Smith Vargas, chief philanthropy officer; Terry Lucas, Portsmouth Kroger store manager; Debbie Mergi, donor relations director; and Kevin Otey, community partnership coordinator celebrate the company’s Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia donation. (Submitted photo)
Kroger Co. of Hampton Roads recently presented the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia with a check for $14,997.54, which can provide 42,850 meals.
Funds for the donation were raised during the company’s widely successful Bringing Hope to the Table campaign, a two-week company-wide promotion in partnership with key suppliers.
The check was presented by Terry Lucas, manager of the Kroger store in Portsmouth.
“This program includes our associates, customers and suppliers in a major effort to feed our hungry neighbors in the communities we serve in Hampton Roads,” said Noelle Motley, spokeswoman for Kroger’s Mid-Atlantic Division.
“Kroger is engaged in the fight against hunger all year long and has a history of over 30 years of support for local food banks.”
Through its company-wide Perishables Donations Partnership program, in 2015, Kroger donated nearly 230,000 lbs. of perishable food donations to the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Peninsula Foodbank.
The program allows fresh meat, produce and dairy products to be donated directly from Kroger stores to local food banks that are able to safely handle perishable foods.
The Kroger Co. was named Forbes Most Generous Company and is frequently recognized as a top charitable company. The company focuses its charitable giving in the areas of hunger relief and health and wellness initiatives in the communities where it operates Kroger stores. Kroger is a founding partner of Feeding America.
