The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank has been awarded a $30,000 grant from BJ’s Charitable Foundation to support its partner hunger-relief program’s capacity building and to provide meals for the one in seven community members facing hunger.
This will be the second capacity building grant awarded to the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank which partners with 500 local hunger-relief programs like food pantries, hot meal sites and shelters, that distribute meals to families who struggle with hunger. Those same hungerrelief
programs, however, are often limited by a lack of equipment to move donations and provide safe storage for perishable items.
The BJ’s Charitable Foundation grant will fund the purchase of refrigeration equipment for several of the Foodbank’s partner programs that currently do not have enough capacity to store fresh produce and other perishable goods that are available from the Foodbank. By the end of
2015, the Foodbank will have distributed more than 7 million pounds of fresh produce, and grants to support increased storage capabilities at the program level, are critical to helping get nutritious food to families in need.
“We collaborate with our partner programs to get the most food to our neighbors in need on a daily basis,” said Dan Flowers, President & CEO of the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank. “With this grant from BJ’s Charitable Foundation, we are able to continue to address what we can do
to help enable these organizations to be more efficient and effective, and in turn help more families facing hunger.”
BJ’s Wholesale Clubs has supported the Feeding America nationwide network of food banks since 2011. Each of their 208 clubs has contributed perishable food totaling nearly 35 million pounds, which is the equivalent of 28 million meals.
“At BJ’s, we’re always looking for new ways to partner with food banks and local organizations to help solve hunger in our communities,” said Local BJ’s Spokesperson. “Through this grant, equipment from refrigerated vehicles to coolers as well as food safety training and other costs
related to agency success will result in more nutritious food getting to the people who need it most.”