BJ's Wholesale Club Announces $100,000 Grant to Good Shepherd Food Bank

BJ's Wholesale Club has announced a $100,000 donation from the BJ's Charitable Foundation to Good Shepherd Food Bank, a Feeding America member food bank. The donation will help Good Shepherd Food Bank's agency partners expand their capacity to store and distribute fresh, healthy food to families in need across Maine.

BJ's grant to Good Shepherd Food Bank is part of BJ's Charitable Foundation's $1 million donation to Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization. Good Shepherd Food Bank is one of nine local food banks to benefit from BJ's $1 million donation, which is the foundation's largest single donation to any organization to date.

"BJ's is bringing a fresh approach to nourishing communities and helping families thrive, and we're proud to support Good Shepherd Food Bank," says Kirk Saville, executive director of the BJ's Charitable Foundation. "No one should have to worry about where to get their next meal, and we know that food banks face challenges in storing and distributing perishable foods. Our strategic partnership with Feeding America is focused on building capacity for fresh food at local food banks so we can work together to put an end to hunger in our communities."

With BJ's $100,000 grant, Good Shepherd Food Bank will purchase a refrigerated box truck for its partner, Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program, increasing the volume of its perishable food distribution by 40 percent. Additionally, Good Shepherd Food Bank will use BJ's grant to expand its agency partners' cold storage capacity, which will allow significantly greater amounts of food to be donated and distributed in high-need areas.

Last year, Good Shepherd Food Bank distributed more than 21 million meals through its network of 400 partner agencies to approximately 178,000 Mainers in need. Good Shepherd Food Bank is the largest hunger relief organization in the state, reaching from York County to Bangor to Aroostook County.

"At Good Shepherd Food Bank, we strive to eliminate hunger in Maine by sourcing and distributing nutritious food to our neighbors in need with the help of valuable community and local partners like BJ's," says Kristen Miale, president of Good Shepherd Food Bank. "Because of BJ's generous donation, Good Shepherd Food Bank will be able to distribute more nutritious food to adults, children and seniors across the entire state."

Since 2009, BJ's has provided ongoing support to Feeding America through the BJ's Charitable Foundation and BJ's Feeding Communities program, helping local food banks successfully expand their programs to reach wider and more diverse audiences.

In addition to capacity building grants from the BJ's Charitable Foundation, BJ's has secured over 50 million pounds of donated food, including fresh produce, frozen meats and fish, baked goods and dairy items through the BJ's Feeding Communities program.