The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation Awards $1M Retail Agency Capacity Grant to Feeding America®

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Feb 02, 2024, 11:00 ET

Grant will fund Michigan, Texas, Tennessee and Georgia food banks

CINCINNATI, Feb. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation today announced it provided a $1 million retail agency capacity grant to Feeding America® to support four food banks across the U.S. The Food Bank of Eastern Michigan (Flint, MI), Houston Food Bank (Houston, TX), Mid-South Food Bank (Memphis, TN) and the Atlanta Community Food Bank (Atlanta, GA) are all beneficiaries of this capacity-building grant.

"Kroger is a longstanding partner with more than 200 local food banks in our shared mission to eliminate hunger in our communities," said Keith Dailey, group vice president of corporate affairs and chief sustainability officer for Kroger. "This grant will further support Feeding America's network of food banks and food rescue organizations in local communities so that we can continue making progress toward our bold goal to end hunger and eliminate food waste across America."

The grants will empower food banks and agencies to increase the number of weekly food pickups through new equipment like refrigerated vans, freezers and forklifts, and added resources like staffing, training and new technology. The grant will also support retail rescue programs by building agency supporters' capacity to conduct direct pick-ups and improve equitable access to nutritious food.

"Kroger's support goes beyond financial commitment. It helps to power a whole system of people and resources that are crucial in the movement to end hunger," said Erika Thiem, Feeding America's Chief Supply Chain Officer. "Kroger's lasting collaboration with Feeding America means people facing hunger have more access to the food and resources they need to thrive."

In recognition of Kroger's grant to Feeding America, the company's Atlanta, Houston, Michigan and Tennessee divisions will celebrate with a day of volunteering and service. Associates in each of these divisions will sort, organize and pack meals for their communities this month.

Kroger launched its Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation in 2018 to support nonprofit organizations, social entrepreneurs and creative thinkers who are focused on improving food security, ending food waste and more. In 2022, Kroger directed $336 million to communities in food and funds, providing nearly 600 million meals and other essential support.

To learn more about The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation, visit here.

About Kroger
At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit™. We are, across our family of companies nearly half a million associates who serve over 11 million customers daily through a seamless digital shopping experience and retail food stores under a variety of banner names, serving America through food inspiration and uplift, and creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site.

About Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation
The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 2018. Since its formation, the organization has directed more than $59 million to organizations, innovators and changemakers across the U.S. who are working to end hunger and waste in their communities. It encourages organizations and founders to work together, catalyze innovation and create a food system that will serve America into the future.

About Feeding America
Feeding America is committed to an America where no one is hungry. We support tens of millions of people who experience food insecurity to get the food and resources they say they need to thrive as part of a nationwide network of food banks, statewide food bank associations, food pantries and meal programs. We also invest in innovative solutions to increase equitable access to nutritious food, advocate for legislation that improves food security and work to address factors that impact food security, such as health, cost of living and employment. We partner with people experiencing food insecurity, policymakers, organizations, and supporters, united with them in a movement to end hunger. Visit FeedingAmerica.org to learn more.

SOURCE The Kroger Co.