CHICAGO — Thousands of Walmart stores and Sam’s Clubs are teaming up with their customers, members, suppliers and associates for the ninth annual “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” campaign, according to the retailer, which says the campaign will run online and in stores from April 18-May 15. There are three easy ways for consumers to support neighbors in need, Walmart said.

• For every participating product purchased in-store or online at Walmart.com or SamsClub.com, the supplier will donate the monetary equivalent of at least one meal ($0.10) on behalf of a Feeding America member food bank at Walmart and five meals ($0.50) at Sam’s Club, up to applicable limits. See specially marked packages for full details.
• Consumers can donate at check-out in stores or clubs or round-up at Walmart.com.
• Donations are also being accepted at Feeding America’s Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign donation site at either www.FeedingAmerica.org/Walmart or www.FeedingAmerica.org/SamsClub.

Each Walmart store and Sam’s Club is matched to a local Feeding America member food bank, and all sales-triggered supplier donations and customer register donations in stores and clubs are tied to that local food bank. To kickstart this year’s campaign, Walmart invested $2 million, most of which will support food banks in communities with the highest rates of food insecurity and racial and access disparities.

“The pandemic is still very much a part of our lives, and it continues to impact the economy and household budgets. Additionally, recovery will be much slower for communities that continue to experience disproportionate rates of food insecurity,” said Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America. “Everyone has a part to play in ending hunger in America. Feeding America is grateful to Walmart and Sam’s Club for their long-standing commitment to helping local food banks and our neighbors in need.”

“Hunger knows no boundaries and affects all of our communities. For the ninth year, Walmart and Sam’s Club invites our customers, members and suppliers to join us in the fight against hunger and help neighbors in need by participating in the Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, executive vice president and chief sustainability officer at Walmart and president of the Walmart Foundation. “Together, we can help communities live better by expanding access to healthy, nutritious food.”

The campaign benefits all 200 Feeding America member food banks and has helped secure more than 1.5 billion meals for people facing hunger in communities across the country. Since 2005, Walmart, the Walmart Foundation, and Sam’s Club have contributed 7 billion pounds of nourishing food and tens of millions of dollars in grants to support Feeding America and member food banks’ hunger-relief efforts.

The 21 participating suppliers for Walmart include: Abbott; BIMBO Bakeries, USA; BODYARMOR; Bush Brothers & Company; Campbell Soup Company; Ferrera Candy Company; General Mills; Great Value; Iovate Health Sciences; J. M. Smucker; Kellogg’s; Keurig Dr Pepper; Kraft Heinz; Materne North America; Monster Energy; Post Consumer Brands; Simply Good Foods; The Clorox Company; The Coca-Cola Company; Unilever; and United States Nutrition.

The participating suppliers for Sam’s Club include: Cascade (Procter & Gamble); Dole Packaged Foods, LLC; General Mills; J. M. Smucker; Kellogg’s; Keurig Dr Pepper; Materne North America; Member’s Mark; Purina; and PEPSICO.

To learn more about the campaign, visit https://www.feedingamerica.org/about-us/partners/current-promotions/fight-hunger-spark-change.