Giant/Martin’s Bag Hunger Campaign Raises More Than $630,000 for Local Hunger Relief

Customers and associates at GIANT Food Stores and MARTIN’S Food Markets donated $631,473 during the annual, in-store Bag Hunger campaign held in February and March in all stores to support local and regional food banks in four states.

“We are committed to the fight against hunger in our local communities,” said Tom Lenkevich, GIANT/MARTIN’S president. “Year after year our customers and associates give generously to help us diminish hunger and help local food banks and pantries feed our neighbors in need.”

According to partner food banks, $1 is the equivalent of 6 meals. As a result of the Bag Hunger campaign, recipient food banks and pantries will be able to provide approximately 3.8 million healthy and nutritious meals.

To kick off the Bag Hunger Campaign, GIANT donated $155,000 in gift cards to 31 food banks and pantries (see list below) across 25 GIANT/MARTIN’S stores in February as part of the “GIANT” One Day Give.

GIANT/MARTIN’S charitable donations made in 2016 totaled $25 million in combined cash and product contributions. More than 100 regional food banks and local pantries across four states received more than $12 million in product, customer, vendor, and corporate donations.

Significant among these food donation programs is “Meat the Needs,” where the company freezes meat that would otherwise go unsold and donates it to regional food banks. In 2016, more than 2.9 million pounds of meat were diverted from local landfills and distributed to GIANT/MARTIN’S partner food banks.  Additional information about “Meat the Needs” and other hunger relief efforts can be found on GIANT and MARTIN’S websites.

“GIANT” One Day Give Recipients:

Allentown Area Ecumenical Food Bank, Allentown, PA

Bloomsburg Food Cupboard, Bloomsburg, PA

Cathedral Parish of St. Patrick, Harrisburg, PA

Catholic Social Services Inc., Hazleton, PA

Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, Harrisburg PA

Coatesville Community Food Co-Op, Coatesville, PA

Elijah’s Bowl (First Presbyterian Church), Sunbury, PA

Food Bank of State College, State College, PA

Friend, Inc. Food Pantry, Kutztown, PA

Fulton County Food Basket, McConnellsburg, PA

God’s Meal Barrel, Hanover, PA

Hanover Area Council of Churches, Hanover, PA

Huntingdon Area Food Pantry, Huntingdon, PA

ICCAP, Indiana, PA

The Kennedy House, Reading, PA

Kennett Area Community Service Food Cupboard, Kennett Square, PA

Kings Kettle Food Pantry, Shippensburg, PA

Mount Joy Community Food Bank, Mount Joy, PA

Nazareth Area Food Bank, Nazareth, PA

New Jerusalem Church Food Bank, Bethlehem, PA

Perry County Food Bank, New Bloomfield, PA

Phoenixville Area Community Services, Phoenixville, PA

Project SHARE, Carlisle, PA

Ray of Hope Mission Center, Port Deposit, MD

Salvation Army Capitol Region, Harrisburg, PA

Salvation Army West Chester, West Chester, PA

Shared Services/Shelter Services, Lewistown, PA

St. Francis of Assisi Kitchen, Scranton, PA

St. Vincent DePaul Assumption Chapel Food Pantry, Altoona, PA

St. Vincent DePaul Society of St. Catherine of Siena, Horsham, PA

West Chester Food Cupboard, West Chester, PA