Kroger Encourages Shoppers to 'Feed A Childhood' by Donating Milk During Hunger Action Month

September is Hunger Action Month, the Feeding America nationwide initiative that asks Americans to take action and fight hunger in their community. For the third year in a row, The Kroger Co. is teaming up with The Great American Milk Drive to make it easy for shoppers to donate nutrient-rich milk to help get kids ready to learn as they head back to school this fall.

More than 46 million Americans – including 12 million children are served by Feeding America network food banks each year. Milk is one of the most requested, but least donated, items at food banks.  This means children in need may be missing out on the 9 essential nutrients, including 8 grams of high-quality protein in each 8-ounce serving that milk supplies.

On average, food banks are only able to provide the equivalent of less than one gallon of milk per person, per year. But this September, Kroger family of stores customers have the ability to help change that in their communities by donating $1, $3 or $5 at check-out. Every donation will help deliver milk to a local family facing hunger. All donations collected go directly to Feeding America food banks that service the local community where the donation was made. 

"Our customers care deeply about hunger in their local communities and this initiative will provide our customers with a simple way to provide perishable goods to their communities," says Jessica Adelman, Kroger's group vice president of corporate affairs. "We are honored to partner with Feeding America for the third year in a row. The 'Feed a Childhood' program makes it so simple to give hope by the gallon and provide milk to families in need across the country."

Over the last two years, Kroger shoppers have donated more than 1 million servings of milk to children and families in need. Overall, the national partnership between Feeding America and The Great American Milk Drive has delivered more than 13 million servings of milk since the program began in 2014.