Hy-Vee Leads the Way in Fighting Food Insecurity

Origins:

In collaboration with industry, supplier and non-profit partners, Hy-Vee has been able to contribute significantly to communities in its eight-state region over the past year:

• End Summer Hunger 2021--In July 2021, Hy-Vee teamed up with Kellogg’s, Keurig Dr Pepper and Chobani to feed families in need for the second year in a row. For each eligible product purchased in-store or online in July 2021, one meal was donated to local Feeding America food banks. 
• 2021 Hams for the Holidays --In partnership with Hormel and local first responders, Hy-Vee hosted its fourth annual “Hams for the Holidays” initiative in March 2021 prior to the Easter holiday.
• Truckloads of Food Donated for the Holidays --In December 2020, Hy-Vee, along with 26 leading food manufacturers and suppliers, donated protein, produce, dairy and nonperishable items as well as monetary donations to help ease the burden on families during the holiday season.
• Feed the Need--In November 2020, Hy-Vee sought to support families by providing Thanksgiving meals in underserved communities. Meal kits were donated to local non-profit partners who distributed meals to local families in need.
• Hy-Vee Celebrates National Family Meals Month--In September 2020, Hy-Vee celebrated National Family Meals Month with resources, solutions and giveaways that brought families together for mealtime in unique ways in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to online resources and recipes, Hy-Vee coordinated contactless, drive-thru giveaways offering Hy-Vee Mealtime dinners.

Contribution:

Community support is a key focus at Hy-Vee, and another way we strive to make our customers’ lives easier, healthier and happier. Because of that focus, Hy-Vee lends considerable support through volunteer efforts and financial contributions to fighting food insecurity in our eight-state region. For example, in addition to coordinating with partners, Hy-Vee donated more than $250,000 in food as part of the holiday food giveaway. Supplier partners included Bernatello’s, Bimbo, Campbell’s, Chobani, Coca-Cola, ConAgra, Danone, Dole, Frito-Lay, General Mills, Hormel, Idahoan Potatoes, Johnsonville, Kellogg’s, Kemps, Kraft Heinz, McCormick, PepsiCo, Pro Health Potatoes, Smithfield, Smuckers, Stemilt, Suntreat, Tyson, Unilever, and Utz.   

With the Feed the Need program, in addition to donations made through retail store locations, Hy-Vee also donated a total of more than 2,500 meal packages to six community partners in Des Moines, Kansas City, Omaha and Minneapolis areas.

Objectives:

Hy-Vee’s mission is to make lives easier, healthier and happier. As a food retailer, one of the ways we can do that is to help eliminate food insecurity in the areas where we operate. Our objective is to eliminate food insecurity in our trade territory by providing access to fresh, nutritious food to at-risk communities. Throughout the year, Hy-Vee collaborates with vendors, suppliers and partners to provide meals to families and much-needed donations to food banks in local communities. We also prioritize our corporate giving to those efforts and organizations that tackle hunger.

Impact:

Hy-Vee’s commitment to fighting food insecurity is evident in the success of the programs they host throughout the year, successfully meeting their goals as follows:

• End Summer Hunger 2021 (July 2021)--During the school year, 22 million children have access to free or reduced-cost meals at school. But less than 4 million kids receive similar meals through USDA Summer Food Service Programs, leaving a gap of 18 million children who may not know where their meals will come from over the summer. This year, 1 million meals were donated to help fill that gap.
• 2021 Hams for the Holidays (March 2021)--The giveaway took place in 14 cities where Hy-Vee employees, alongside local law enforcement, fire and EMS, handed out 5,000 Hormel® Cure 81® hams to families in need throughout the company’s eight-state region.
• Truckloads of Food Donated for the Holidays (December 2020)--Working with dozens of national and regional food manufacturers and suppliers, Hy-Vee donated nearly 1 million pounds of food and supplies– more than 20 truckloads! - to 17 Feeding America-affiliated food banks across its eight-state region for the holiday season.
• Feed the Need (November 2020)--80,000 people in underserved communities were provided Thanksgiving meals in 2020. 
• Hy-Vee Celebrates National Family Meals Month (September 2020)--Approximately 500 meal kits that serve 4-6 people were donated at each event, which fed about 2,000 families in total. 

Quote:

“COVID-19 has caused the number of people experiencing food insecurity to double in many areas across our eight-state region. As part of our ongoing commitment to solving food insecurity, Hy-Vee wants to do its part to ensure community food banks are fully stocked. Along with our partners, we are proud to support our communities to provide families access to meals, especially as the pandemic continues.”
--Randy Edeker, Hy-Vee Chairman, CEO and President

“Feeding America member food banks work hard to ensure children who receive free or reduced-cost meals at school will have enough food during the summer to be healthy and free from worry. We are thankful to Hy-Vee, Kellogg, Keurig Dr Pepper and Chobani for joining us in the fight to end hunger and helping families who need it most through the End Summer Hunger campaign,” said Lauren Biedron, Feeding America vice president of corporate partnerships.

Support Statement:

“Feeding America member food banks work hard to ensure children who receive free or reduced-cost meals at school will have enough food during the summer to be healthy and free from worry. We are thankful to Hy-Vee, Kellogg, Keurig Dr Pepper and Chobani for joining us in the fight to end hunger and helping families who need it most through the End Summer Hunger campaign,” said Lauren Biedron, Feeding America vice president of corporate partnerships.