Meijer, DuPage Township Partner To Keep Local Food Pantries Stocked

BOLINGBROOK, IL — Local Meijer stores will be partnering with a local philanthropic effort headed up by DuPage Township to provide food to local food pantries to assist local families that struggle with keeping food on the table, the retailer recently announced.

Meijer’s “Simply Give” program offers local residents the chance to donate to a program that keeps shelves of local food pantries replenished across Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Kentucky, the retailer said in a news release.

The program encourages customers to purchase $10 Simply Give donation cards, which are converted into Meijer food-only gift cards and given to a local food pantry in the store’s community.

DuPage Township Food Pantry will benefit from donation cards purchased at the East Boughton Rd, store between now through April 2. Meijer will also double-match any cards purchased on Saturday, March 5, and Saturday, March 26, which in essence triples contributions made on those days.

Meijer customers shopping online using Meijer pickup or home delivery can also purchase Simply Give donation cards as an add-on to their orders.

“Unlike the holiday season, hunger doesn’t have a season. Working families and others who were most affected by the pandemic struggle year-round to recover from the economic hardship of the past two years. In fact, the number of families served has continued to rise each month,” Gary Marschke, the DuPage Township supervisor, said in a news release.

Meijer donated more than $7.6 million to "Simply Give" food pantry partners in 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and made an additional $1 million gift in March. Since the program began in November 2008, more than $69 million has been generated for food pantries in the Midwest to distribute to residents in need of food.

“The events of the last nearly two years have taught us all the importance of community members supporting each other,” David Locke, the manager and spokesperson for the DuPage Township pantry said. “We encourage community members to help us feed their neighbors facing food insecurity in Romeoville and Bolingbrook area this winter season by purchasing a Meijer Simply Give food donation card during their next shopping trip.”

Meijer officials said that the effort has been critical in helping local families who, like many area residents, struggle with food insecurity issues.

“The cold winter months are a difficult time for people facing food insecurity and food pantries continue to struggle to keep up with the flood of requests they receive daily, especially given the difficult circumstances many families now face amidst the global pandemic,” Cathy Cooper, senior director of Community Partnerships and Giving for Meijer said in a news release.

“The Simply Give program is a way for Meijer customers to partner with us and support the food banks and pantries that feed families in need in their own communities. We certainly couldn’t do it without the support and commitment of our generous customers and team members, who stand beside us in this effort.”