(Harrisburg, PA – April 22, 2019) – One in eight Americans in communities across the U.S. struggle with hunger, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  In central Pennsylvania, one in nine struggle with hunger, including one in six children.  To raise awareness and combat the issue, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Feeding America® and the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank are kicking off the sixth annual nationwide “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” (FHSC) campaign, which will run from April 22 to May 20.

In partnership with the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, Walmart and Sam’s Club now invite shoppers throughout central Pennsylvania to help fight hunger in their local community. There are three ways to participate – purchasing a participating item in-store or online, donating in-store or donating on Feeding America’s website.

With 749 million meals achieved over the last five years, customers and members can help the Feeding America network secure its 1 billion cumulative meals goal in three ways. They can track the number of meals by visiting www.walmart.com/fighthunger.

  • For every participating product purchased at U.S. Walmart stores, Sam’s Clubs or on Walmart.com during the campaign, the supplier will donate the monetary equivalent of at least one meal ($0.10) on behalf of a Feeding America member food bank, up to applicable
  • Donate money to your local Feeding America food bank at participating Sam’s Club and Walmart stores in the S.
  • Donate at org/Walmart.

Walmart kickstarted the campaign with a $3 million donation to Feeding America and member food banks including the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. A purchase of one of the 267 participating items helps secure the equivalent of one meal. Each Walmart and Sam’s Club will partner with at least one Feeding America local food bank, and the 18 participating suppliers include: Bush Brothers, Campbell’s, Conagra Brands, Cliff Bar, General Mills, Gold Peak Tea, Great Value, Hidden Valley, JM Smucker, Kellogg, Kraft Heinz, McCormick, Motts, PepsiCo, Post, Uncle Ben’s, Nature Nate’s Honey and Unilever.

“We are thrilled that Walmart is once again conducting an exciting Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign and are pleased to welcome Sam’s Club members to this year’s campaign,” said Joe Arthur, Executive Director of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank.  “Thanks to the generosity of Walmart’s customers we have been able to provide millions of meals to people in need in central Pennsylvania.  We are proud to partner with Walmart and Sam’s Club through this campaign, and through their ongoing generous donations and volunteerism at our Food Bank.”

 “As we go into our sixth year of the ‘Fight Hunger. Spark Change.’ campaign, it’s exciting to approach the 1 billion mark in terms of charitable meals secured for Feeding America over the life of the program,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, chief sustainability officer for Walmart. “Food insecurity continues to affect communities across the United States. Working with Feeding America, our customers, members, associates and suppliers, Walmart and Sam’s Club aim to be part of the solution.”

Last year, the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank benefited from more than $209,000 from Walmart and Sam’s Club’s commitment to fight hunger, which allowed them to provide more than 1.2 million meals in the 27-counties they serve.

To learn more about the campaign visit www.walmart.com/fighthunger.

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About Walmart

Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere

– in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, over 275 million customers and members visit our more than 11,300 stores under 58 banners in 27 countries and eCommerce websites. With fiscal year 2019 revenue of $514.4 billion, Walmart employs over 2.2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart.

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. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate. Together we can solve hunger. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

 About the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank

The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to reduce hunger in 27 counties across Pennsylvania. By working with nearly 1,000 local agencies, the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank serves more than 140,000 people in need each month. For more information on the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank and its mission to reduce hunger in Pennsylvania, visit centralpafoodbank.org or call 717.564.1700. Connect with us on Facebook at facebook.com/centralpafoodbank and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @centralpafb.