Harry Chapin Food Bank, the largest hunger relief organization in Southwest Florida, is excited to announce it has received a $358,215 grant from the Walmart Foundation and Feeding America as part of a continuing, multi-year partnership to strengthen food banks and agency partners in rural communities and communities of color disproportionately affected by food insecurity.
This grant will allow Harry Chapin Food Bank to expand its retail rescue program as part of its overall partner agency program, providing more Southwest Floridians with access to nutritious food. More than 134,250 people in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Glades and Hendry counties faced food insecurity in 2021. Food insecurity is defined as the lack of access to enough food for a healthy, active lifestyle.
“Building capacity in our network means bringing new partners to the table, procuring new equipment and inspiring more people to join the movement to end hunger. This generous grant is directly responsible for a meaningful increase in the amount of food we’re making available in our community every day,” said Stuart Haniff, the chief development officer at Harry Chapin Food Bank.
The Retail Agency Capacity Building Grants were awarded to a total of 20 Feeding America partner food banks to enhance retail rescue programs in which fresh, frozen and shelf-stable foods are donated by grocers for pickup by food banks and agency partners.
With the Walmart Foundation and Feeding America grant funding, food banks and agencies will increase the number of weekly food pick-ups through the purchase of new equipment like refrigerated vans, freezers and forklifts. Grant funding will also help food banks and agencies add resources like staffing, training and new technology.
“Local food banks are key to making retail food rescue programs successful and expanding access to healthy food for people in our communities, which is why it’s so important to invest in their ability to innovate and efficiently pick up food donations,” said Julie Gehrki, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at the Walmart Foundation. “The Walmart Foundation’s investment builds on our continued support of the Feeding America network as we work together to strengthen the charitable meal system and end hunger.”
Currently 48 of Harry Chapin Food Bank’s partner agencies are retail-enabled. This grant will allow the food bank to add, at minimum, 20 retail-enabled agencies to its retail rescue program
For nearly 20 years, Walmart, the Walmart Foundation and Sam’s Club have revolutionized food banking and transformed retail rescue in partnership with Feeding America, local food banks and partner agencies to provide fresh, nourishing food to people facing hunger in communities nationwide. To build and ensure sustainable capacity in local communities, Walmart Foundation has funded more than 200 vehicles to help with local food recovery efforts, invested in critical research to identify opportunities to capture more surplus food and provided millions of dollars in grants to build infrastructure to more equitably serve neighbors in need. As Feeding America’s largest food donors, Walmart and Sam’s Club have donated more than 7.5 billion pounds of food since 2006.
“Walmart has proven time and time again they are dedicated partners in the fight to end hunger,” said Haniff. “Their continued support will ensure we have the necessary resources to continue to provide Southwest Floridians with access to fresh, nutritious food.”
Now in its 40th year, Harry Chapin Food Bank feeds more than 250,000 people each month through a variety of food distribution programs.
About Harry Chapin Food Bank
Harry Chapin Food Bank, a member of Feeding America, is the largest hunger-relief organization in Southwest Florida. The food bank rescues food that would otherwise go to waste and distributes it to children, families, and seniors who are hungry through a series of food distribution programs that feed more than a quarter of a million people each month.
Harry Chapin Food Bank distributed $61.5 million worth of food in fiscal year 2022. Through our food distribution programs, we supplied 34.7 million pounds of food and other grocery items, including 12 million pounds of fresh produce. The food is the equivalent of 29 million meals distributed to those who are hungry.
Our membership with Feeding America enables us to amplify our food and distribution efforts and bring in food from various retail and grocery stores, national food producers and distributors, and growers locally, nationally, and even internationally.
Harry Chapin Food Bank is proud to be named a Blueprint Partner by the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), the founding organization of the Naples Winter Wine Festival. Harry Chapin Food Bank is also a United Way partner agency. For more information or to make a gift, please call 239-334-7007 or visit harrychapinfoodbank.org.
About philanthropy at Walmart
Walmart.org represents the philanthropic efforts of Walmart and the Walmart Foundation. By focusing where the business has unique strengths, Walmart.org works to tackle key social and environmental issues and collaborate with others to spark long-lasting systemic change. Walmart has stores in 20 countries, employs more than 2 million associates and does business with thousands of suppliers who, in turn, employ millions of people. Walmart.org is helping people live better by supporting programs to accelerate upward job mobility for frontline workers, advance equity, address hunger, build inclusive economic opportunity for people in supply chains, protect and restore nature, reduce waste and emissions and build strong communities where Walmart operates. To learn more, visit walmart.org or connect on Twitter @Walmartorg.
About Feeding America
Feeding America® is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of more than 200 food banks, 21 statewide food bank associations, and over 60,000 partner agencies, food pantries and meal programs, we helped provide 5.2 billion meals to tens of millions of people in need last year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; brings attention to the social and systemic barriers that contribute to food insecurity in our nation; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry.
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