Safeway Joins The Great American Milk Drive

June is National Dairy Month, and Safeway and The American Dairy Association Northeast are joining forces with Feeding America and local food banks to present The Great American Milk Drive initiative to deliver fresh, nutrient-rich milk to local kids and families in need.

From June 1 through June 30, shoppers at 123 Safeway stores across Washington, D.C, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and Florida can donate at checkout to help support children and their families in their own local communities this summer.

“Safeway is dedicated to fighting hunger in our communities,” says Dan Valenzuela, president of Safeway’s Eastern Division. “We know it’s important to deliver milk during the summertime, because when schools are out kids may be missing out on essential nutrients like protein that help fuel playing, learning and growing. Our shoppers’ donations will help deliver gallons of milk to local families in need to ensure that all children have nutrients they need to live up to their potential.”

While Americans are generous with canned and dry goods, fresh milk is a lot harder to donate because it’s perishable. According to Feeding America, milk is one of the most requested, but least donated items at food banks. On average, food banks are only able to provide the equivalent of less than one gallon of milk per person, per year.  During the summer months, food banks may be even busier, and it’s increasingly important to fill this need so that children who face hunger are not missing out on the essential nutrients, including high-quality protein, that milk supplies.

Although some programs like the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) help to deliver meals when school is not in session, the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP), do not reach children during the summer months.

Every year, more than 1,589,000 kids across Washington, D.C, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and Florida are served by Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger relief organization.

Since 2014, Feeding America has partnered with The Great American Milk Drive to help supply its nationwide network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs with highly requested milk. Thanks to the generous contributions made by shoppers and donors across the country, The Great American Milk Drive has delivered more than 1 million gallons – that’s more than 16 million servings – of milk to families in need throughout the country, including more than 965,000 servings in Washington, D.C, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and Florida .

Donations made in-store or online at milklife.com/give will deliver gallons of milk to local families in need, helping to ensure that all children have access to nutrients that fuel the joys of summer. By entering a zip code online, donors can ensure that the milk is delivered to a local Feeding America food bank in their very own community.