By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org
Access of West Michigan is one of the several food banks in Michigan and Indiana to benefit from SpartanNash and Miller Polury’s recent donation of more that 24,000 pounds of chicken.
Throughout December, SpartanNash and Miller Poultry teamed up to donate 8,000 pounds of chicken to Access of West Michigan and its network of local food pantries – including SECOM, Streams of Hope, St. Al’s and Green Apple; 9,200 pounds of chicken to the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan; and 7,000 pounds of chicken to the Food Bank of Northern Indiana.
VG’s Grocery, Family Fare and Martin’s Super Market associates helped with the distribution of the donations.
In total, the 24,200 pounds of chicken will provide 96,800 meals this holiday season.
“We are proud to carry Miller Poultry in our company-owned retail stores throughout the Midwest – and we are excited to once again team up with them to provide food to families in need this holiday season,” said Meredith Gremel, vice president of corporate affairs and communications for SpartanNash and executive director of the SpartanNash Foundation. “As a company that takes food places, SpartanNash and the SpartanNash Foundation are committed to building stronger communities by ensuring families have access to healthy, affordable food.”
SpartanNash owns and operates more than 155 stores in nine states, including 18 Martin’s Super Markets in Indiana and 87 stores in Michigan under the banners of Ada Fresh Market, D&W Fresh Market, Family Fare, Forest Hills Foods, Martin’s Super Markets, VG’s Grocery and ValuLand.
SpartanNash and Miller Poultry have taken part in the annual holiday tradition for more than 10 years, donating nearly 300,000 pounds of chicken to help families in need throughout Michigan and Indiana.
“We are a local, family-owned company, and our culture has always revolved around supporting local family farms, and the communities in which we all live,” said Galen Miller, owner and CEO of Miller Poultry. “2020 has been a tough year for many of us, but through our partnership with SpartanNash, we were able to make these donations happen again this year, and we are grateful for the opportunity to share.”
Each year, SpartanNash donates more than five million pounds of food throughout its company footprint as part of its corporate responsibility initiatives, in addition to providing financial grants to food pantry partners through corporate giving initiatives and the SpartanNash Foundation.
In November, the SpartanNash Foundation granted more than $400,000 to more than 100 community food pantries through its scan campaign to provide hunger relief and a series of $5,000 grants throughout the company footprint. In April, the SpartanNash Foundation also granted $250,000 to Feeding America-affiliated food bank partners as a part of its COVID-19 relief efforts.
