Local Food Bank benefits from hunger campaign

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank will be able to provide 920,205 meals to those with food insecurities thanks to the annual nationwide hunger campaign by Walmart. The campaign – Fight Hunger, Spark Change -- ran from mid-April to mid-May.

The fourth annual hunger campaign asked the general public to join with Walmart as well as Discover and five suppliers, which represent some of the nation’s leading food companies – Campbell Soup Co., General Mills, Kellogg Co., The Kraft Heinz Co. and PepsiCo.

The campaign raised $83,655 for the Food Bank in 2017, which represented an increase of more than $30,000 from 2016, according to Mike Williams, director of development at the Food Bank. Each dollar raised represents 11 meals that can be provided to those with food insecurities in Benton, Carroll, Madison and Washington counties, which are served by the Food Bank.Nationwide, the campaign raised $19.83 million to be distributed through Feeding America, whose member food banks, including the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, are the beneficiaries of the campaign. The 2017 total represents an increase of approximately $2 million from a year ago.

Participants in the drive could give in three ways – through the purchase of participating food product, donate through social media, or making a donation at the register during checkout.

Last year, the campaign raised $17 million to support food banks across the country.

Mike Williams, director of development at the Food Bank, said food supplies are up during the holidays and become depleted during the first quarter of the year. This drive helped raise funds to rebuild the food supply.

Walmart made a $1.5 million donation and aims to donate a total of $3 million to Feeding America based on the public’s online participation in the “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” campaign. Combining Walmart’s donation with supplier donations through product purchases and customer donations at the register, the campaign has a goal of helping Feeding America secure 100 million meals on behalf of its member food banks.