Meijer kicks off fifth 'Simply Give' campaign

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. For the fifth time in less than 18 months, Meijer is teaming up with its shoppers to help restock the shelves of approximately 191 local food banks as part of the grocer's "Simply Give" food pantry donation program.

The two-month program, Meijer's fifth since starting the donation effort in November 2008, seeks to lend a hand to the increasing number of food pantries that struggle to keep up with the growing demand for their services. The previous four "Simply Give" initiatives have raised more than $1 million in food donations that have gone directly to local food banks and pantries. Each one of Meijer's 191 stores throughout the Midwest has identified a local organization to receive the grocery donation.

The latest "Simply Give" program will run from now through May 15. Two other "Simply Give" food drives are scheduled for the late summer and early fall of this year.

As in previous efforts, the program encourages Meijer shoppers to purchase a $10 Meijer Food Pantry Donation Card at special displays throughout the store. The donation cards are then converted into Meijer Gift cards and given to the local food pantry selected by the store.

As it has done in the past, Meijer is seeding the "Simply Give" program with $100,000 in grocery gift cards that will be divided equally among all the participating food pantries.

"This program is a testament to the compassion our shoppers have toward their neighbors," said Hank Meijer, co-chairman and CEO. "We're proud to team up with thousands of our customers to lend a helping hand to those less fortunate and make a difference in the hundreds of communities where we do business."