The Giant Co.’s Feeding School Kids initiative returns

The Giant Co.'s annual Feeding School Kids initiative is once again inviting customers at Giant, Martin's and Giant Heirloom Market stores to round up their purchases to the nearest dollar, buy a reusable bag or convert their Choice shopper points into a donation for their local public school districts’ food programs.

The initiative to help meet students' needs, now in its fourth year, will run through March 31, according to a news release.

“When children are hungry, it can impact their academic success which is why we partnered with our local public school districts to address and to help eliminate childhood hunger in our communities,” Jessica Groves, community impact manager for The Giant Co., said in the release. “Over the past three years, together with our customers and team members, we have raised more than $6 million through Feeding School Kids to help support hunger relief efforts both at school and at home. This year we are excited to extend the initiative an extra month for schools to raise even more needed funds.”

The Giant Co. said it will donate $100,000 this year to launch the program. Through Feeding School Kids, public school districts have been able to support meal programs and address food insecurity from supplying backpacks with weekend food to clearing outstanding student lunch debt to building on-campus food pantries and establishing garden programs, according to the release.

For example, the release said Virginia's Frederick County School District and Winchester School District provided weekend food packs for more than 1,300 students and during the summer supported more than 2,900 students; Pennsylvania's Norristown School District distributed 10,000 meal boxes in the summer containing five breakfasts and five lunches in each box, and York Suburban School District restocked their pantry to double its service to 175 families; and West Virginia's Jefferson County School District purchased kitchen equipment to improve the quality of meals served.

“The donations we receive from The Giant Co. have gone directly to our Summer Meal Distribution Program,” David Ludwig, director of food services at Norristown Area School District, said in the release. “We have converted a school bus we now call the ‘Nest Express’ to meet our students and families in our community parks. During our summer program we distribute 35,000 breakfasts and 35,000 lunches reaching 1,000 students each week. This would not be possible without the district receiving grant funds and donations from organizations like The Giant Co. Partnering with The Giant Co. has proven to be a great benefit for our students and families in the Norristown Area School District.”

Related link: More information on The Giant Co.’s Feeding School Kids initiative