Through online acts of support, purchasing participating products and donating at the register, campaign aims to help Feeding America secure 75 million meals on behalf of member food banks 

ROSEVILLE, CA  (April 3 , 2016) ­–  Walmart has once again officially launched its “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” campaign, a nationwide initiative calling on the public to take action in the fight against hunger. The Feeding America nationwide network of 200 food banks, of which the Placer Food Bank is a member, stands to benefit from up to $3 million in potential Walmart donations based on public participation in the “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” campaign.

By combining Walmart’s donation with supplier donations through product purchases and customer donations at the register, the campaign has a goal of helping to secure 75 million meals for the Feeding America network. The campaign runs through April 25.

With the USDA reporting that one in seven people in America struggle with hunger, the “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” campaign comes at a critical time. In Placer, Northern Nevada and El Dorado Counties, many individuals may not know where they will find their next meal.

“We appreciate Walmart’s ongoing commitment to fighting hunger and are thrilled that Walmart is asking the public to get involved and make a difference in their local communities through the ‘Fight Hunger. Spark Change.’ campaign,” said Dave Martinez, Executive Director of Placer Food Bank.  “In partnership with the Feeding America network, this campaign will significantly boost our collective ability to raise awareness about the issue of hunger in America, allowing us to secure more local funds and, ultimately provide food to more people in need in Placer, Nevada and El Dorado Counties.  We hope people in all of these communities we serve  will take action and join us in fighting hunger by participating in the campaign.”

To raise awareness and help provide meals to those in need, Walmart and five of its national suppliers –– Campbell Soup Company, General Mills, Kellogg Company, the Kraft Heinz Company and PepsiCo – are calling on the public to take action in-store and online to generate support for the Feeding America network.

“This campaign is a great example of our long-standing commitment to hunger relief and dedication to ensuring every family has access to affordable, nutritious and sustainably grown food,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, president of the Walmart Foundation and chief sustainability officer for Walmart. “Successful partnerships are the key to making a positive impact on the issue of hunger in the U.S. and we’re proud to once again be working with Feeding America, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to fighting hunger, and food banks across the country like Placer Food Bank. Together with Feeding America, its member food banks and our suppliers and customers, we can make a real difference for those currently struggling with hunger.”

Through April 25, there are three easy ways to Fight Hunger and Spark Change in our community

Buy Participating Products: Purchase participating products in Walmart stores to help provide meals for local families who struggle with hunger. For every participating product purchased at Walmart between March 28 and April 25, 2016, the manufacturer will donate $0.09 to Feeding America – enough to secure one meal on behalf of local food banks – up to each manufacturer’s maximum donation, which is provided on the participating packages. See packages or Walmart.com/fighthunger for details.

Online Acts of Support:  Generate donations for Feeding America food banks by using #FightHunger on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, sharing and liking campaign posts on Facebook, showing support on Walmart.com/fighthunger and using campaign Snapchat filters in select stores. For the first time, Twitter has developed a custom emoji for the “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” campaign. When users Tweet using the hashtag #FightHunger, the custom emoji will appear after the hashtag. For each online act of support, Walmart will donate an amount to help secure 10 meals (an equivalent of $0.90) on behalf of Feeding America member food banks, up to $1.5 million.

Donate at the Register: Donate to a local Feeding America member food bank at the register during checkout.

To kickoff the campaign, Walmart will make an initial donation of $1.5 million to Feeding America with the goal of reaching a total donation of $3 million based on the public’s social engagement.

This is Walmart’s 10th year partnering with Feeding America nationally to fight hunger and the 3^rd annual “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” campaign. Last year, Placer Food Bank was able to provide thousands of meals for our area’s less fortunate from funds raised in Walmart’s campaign to fight hunger

Area Walmart Locations that benefit the Placer Food Bank and the communities they serve:

Walmart Locations benefitting the Placer Food Bank in and near Placer County:

Rocklin – 5402 Crossings Drive, 95677

Rocklin – 5609, Pacific Street, 95677

Granite Bay – 4060 Douglas Blvd, 95746

Roseville – 900 Pleasant Grove Blvd, Roseville

Roseville – 1400 Lead Hill Road, 95661

Lincoln – 255 G. Street, 95648

Antelope – 7901 Watt Ave, 95823

Walmart Locations benefitting the Placer Food Bank in El Dorado County:

Placerville – 4300 Missouri Flat Road, 95667

To learn more about the campaign, visit www.walmart.com/fighthunger. To learn more about the Placer Food Bank visit www.placerfoodbank.org.