At truck dedication, Kroger surprises GLFB with additional $15,050 donation

LANSING, Mich. — When a new refrigerated truck was needed to continue the Greater Lansing Food Bank’s increasingly popular Food Movers program, Kroger put the pedal to the metal and provided the needed funds.

The truck was purchased with help from the Kroger Foundation through The Kroger Co.–Michigan Division, and at the Aug. 1 dedication of the truck, Kroger presented a surprise $15,050 donation to additionally support the food bank’s programs.

PHOTO: Kroger’s surprise donation of $15,050 at the GLFB truck dedication will support GLFB programs. Pictured are Pat Spyke, Lavon Dennis, Sue Snodgrass and Joe Chahine, GLFB board members; Leslie Brogan, GLFB board chair; Rachel Hurst and Lauren Montalbano, Kroger staff; Kelly Miller and Todd Powell, GLFB staff; and Jeff Blohm, GLFB board member.

“Thousands of people in our community will be direct beneficiaries of Kroger’s generosity every year, for many years to come,” said Leslie Brogan, GLFB Board chair. “Kroger has definitely come to the rescue of this valuable, community program.”

PHOTO:  Representatives of Kroger and Greater Lansing Food Bank gather for the dedication of GLFB’s new Food Movers truck, at right. It and another GLFB truck, at left, display the shared goal of Kroger and GLFB: to end hunger by 2025.

A refrigerated truck is integral to the GLFB Food Movers Program, and the previous aging truck needed major repair. The truck is used to rescue unsold and unused food from event centers and restaurants, then deliver it to area agencies for distribution to people in need.

The Food Movers Program began in 1992 and has grown significantly in recent years. In 2018, the program rescued 130,000 meals, or 145,000 pounds of food, in Ingham, Clinton and Eaton counties. Some of the largest food donors are Lansing Center, McLaren Greater Lansing, MSU Concessions, Kellogg Center and Eagle Eye Banquet Center.

Today, distribution of the rescued food is through 18 participating agencies, including Advent House Ministries, Cristo Rey Community Center Kitchen & Pantry, Haven House, New Hope Community Center, Salvation Army Kitchens, St. Vincent Catholic Charities and Sunny Crest Youth Ranch.

“We are extremely thankful for our strong partnership with Greater Lansing Food Bank,” said Rachel Hurst, corporate affairs manager, The Kroger Co.–Michigan Division. “The work they do in the communities in which we live and serve is helping cut hunger, and we are elated to be part of it.”

Through support of GLFB in 2018, Kroger provided well over 450,000 meals to those in need in mid-Michigan. The grocer’s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste social impact plan aligns with GLFB’s strategic development: working to ensure every person in need has access to enough nutritious food.

PHOTO:  Helping cut hunger, representatives of Kroger and Greater Lansing Food Bank dedicate GLFB’s new Food Movers truck purchased with help from Kroger. Pictured are, from left, Roger Fowler, GLFB staff; Pat Spyke and Sue Snodgrass, GLFB board members; Kelly Miller and Todd Powell, GLFB staff; Lauren Montalbano and Rachel Hurst, Kroger staff; Leslie Brogan, GLFB board chair; Jeff Blohm, Lavon Dennis and Joe Chahine, GLFB board members; and Phyllis Handley GLFB staff.

The Aug. 1 event included the reveal, dedication and ribbon-cutting for the new truck. It is a 2015 Ford Super Duty Chassis Cab Truck F-550 equipped with a multi-temperature application. It allows for product storage at ideal temperatures – from frozen solid to refrigeration, always meeting requirements of sensitive produce and dairy products.

About Greater Lansing Food Bank
Greater Lansing Food Bank (GLFB) is a non-profit organization that provides emergency food to individuals and families in need in the counties of Ingham, Eaton, Clinton, Shiawassee, Clare, Isabella and Gratiot. It raises money, food and in-kind contributions to meet emergency food needs; coordinates and supports area food pantries; rescues wholesome, excess food that would otherwise go to waste; promotes, encourages and emphasizes self-help programs toward the goal of self-sufficiency; and educates the community on hunger issues. More information is at www.greaterlansingfoodbank.org.

About The Kroger Co. of Michigan
Incorporated in Michigan in 1909 and headquartered in Novi, The Kroger Co. of Michigan operates 122 Kroger stores, 75 fuel centers, 104 pharmacies and the Michigan Dairy. Michigan Kroger’s 19,000 associates are dedicated to the Kroger Purpose: to FEED the Human Spirit by serving the region through food, inspiration and uplift, and creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025.

# # #