BJ's Wholesale Club Announces $100,000 Grant to City Harvest

BJ's grant to City Harvest is part of BJ's Charitable Foundation's $1 million donation to Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization. City Harvest 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 City Harvest," said 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, City Harvest will purchase equipment, including freezers and pallet jacks to help its agency partners expand its cold storage capacity and increase the distribution of perishable foods. With additional space and storage equipment, City Harvest's partner agencies in Queens and the North Bronx will be able to more safely and efficiently receive, store and distribute perishable food.

Last year, City Harvest distributed over 55 million pounds of food to partner programs. In addition to bringing more healthy food to neighbors in need, City Harvest offers free nutrition education to the community, giving them the tools they need to make healthy budget-conscious meals for their families.

"Nearly 1.3 million New Yorkers face hunger every year, including close to one in four New York City children," said Jilly Stephens, Chief Executive Officer at City Harvest. "Because of BJ's generous donation, City Harvest will be able to expand agency capacity growth, particularly relating to our ability to rescue and deliver more wholesome, fresh food for hungry New Yorkers."

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.

About BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc.
Headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts, BJ's is the leading operator of membership warehouse clubs in the Eastern United States. The company currently operates 215 clubs and 133 BJ's Gas^® locations in 16 states. 

BJ's provides a one-stop shopping destination filled with top-quality, leading brands, including its exclusive Wellsley Farms® and Berkley Jensen® brands, along with USDA Choice meats, premium produce and delicious organics, many in supermarket sizes. BJ's is also the only major membership warehouse club to accept all manufacturers' coupons and, for greater convenience, offers the most payment options.

Visit www.BJs.com, and for exclusive content find us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

BJ's is wholly owned by affiliates of Leonard Green & Partners, CVC Capital Partners and its management team.

About City Harvest
City Harvest pioneered food rescue in 1982 and, this year will collect 59 million pounds of excess food to help feed the nearly 1.3 million New Yorkers struggling to put meals on their tables. Through relationships with farms, grocers, restaurants, and manufacturers, City Harvest collects nutritious food that would otherwise go to waste and delivers it free of charge to 500 soup kitchens, food pantries and other community food programs across the five boroughs.  In addition, our Healthy Neighborhoods initiative addresses long term food insecurity through community partnerships that work to increase access to affordable and wholesome food. To learn more about food rescue, Healthy Neighborhoods and fighting hunger in New York City, visit cityharvest.org.

About Feeding America^®
Feeding America^® is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs, we provide meals to more than 46 million people each year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry.

SOURCE BJ's Wholesale Club

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