LAKELAND, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Publix Super Markets and Publix Super Markets Charities (PSMC) have announced plans to extend their commitment to help alleviate hunger throughout the communities Publix serves.
In September, PSMC announced a $5.65 million donation to 328 food banks and other nonprofit organizations focused on hunger alleviation. To further those efforts, PSMC has donated an additional $3.85 million to 22 Feeding America® member food banks for each to purchase and equip a mobile food pantry. The mobile food pantries will help these agencies provide fresh food to the people they serve. Individuals will be able to “shop” these free pantries, allowing them to choose the foods that meet their needs. With these contributions, PSMC has donated a total of $9.5 million in 2022 to support hunger relief organizations.
Publix and PSMC have pledged a total of $23 million to support hunger alleviation by the end of 2023 — this includes a Publix commitment to provide more than 10 million pounds of produce to stock 20 of the mobile pantries in their first year of operation.
Publix also announced it is hosting a hunger summit in February 2023 for Feeding America member food banks in the company’s operating area. The summit’s goal is to provide a forum for open discussion and sharing of best practices in areas including logistics, warehousing and transportation.
“As Americans continue to face hunger, we wanted to do more to help get much-needed meals onto the plates of our neighbors,” said Publix CEO Todd Jones. “In conjunction with Publix Charities, we’re proud to extend our commitment to helping alleviate hunger through these donations and the introduction of a hunger summit. We remain dedicated to doing good together to provide nourishing meals for people in need in our communities.”
“This donation will be instrumental for so many people who face hunger every day,” said Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot. “Access to nutrition is a foundational need for everyone to be successful. We’re grateful to both Publix and Publix Super Markets Charities for their continued partnership and commitment to help alleviate hunger.”
About Publix Super Markets Charities
George Jenkins, founder of Publix Super Markets and affectionately known as “Mr. George,” believed in giving. From the day he opened his first Publix, he made sure his associates, customers and community were taken care of. In 1966, Mr. George established the Foundation with the vision it would continue giving long after he was gone. Publix Super Markets Charities remains committed to serving the communities in which Publix operates. To learn more, visit www.publixcharities.org.
About Publix Super Markets
Publix, the largest employee-owned company in the U.S. with more than 240,000 associates, currently operates 1,312 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. For 25 consecutive years, the company has been recognized by Fortune as a great place to work. In addition, Publix’s dedication to superior quality and customer service is recognized among the top in the grocery business. For more information, visit the company’s newsroom at corporate.publix.com/newsroom.
About Feeding America
Feeding America® is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of more than 200 food banks, 21 statewide food bank associations, and over 60,000 partner agencies, food pantries and meal programs, we helped provide 6.6 billion meals to tens of millions of people in need last year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; brings attention to the social and systemic barriers that contribute to food insecurity in our nation; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry.
Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
