Open Doors of Washington Twp. and Meijer Fight Food Insecurity in Westfield Through the Simply Give Hunger Relief Program
Campaign set to run through Apr. 2
Westfield & Open Doors is proud to announce a partnership with Meijer to provide much-needed relief to local families facing food insecurity through the retailer’s customer-driven hunger relief program, Simply Give.
“Westfield has seen an increase in the number of clients visiting our Pantry, as well as the need for student weekend meals, and the Simply Give program will go a long way to help satisfy this need.” said Bruce Watson, Exec. Dir of Open Doors.
Our community continues to feel the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. As uncertainty around guidelines and wage disruptions continue to place extreme pressure on low-income families, food pantries are seeing increased demand in their communities.
Each Meijer Simply Give campaign replenishes the shelves of more than 250 food pantries in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Wisconsin. The program encourages customers to purchase $10 Simply Give donation cards, which are then converted into Meijer food-only gift cards and given to a local food pantry in the store’s community.
Open Doors will benefit from donation cards purchased at the Westfield Meijer store now through Apr. 2. In addition, Meijer will double match any cards purchased on Saturday, Mar. 5 and Saturday, Mar. 26, effectively tripling contributions made on those days. Meijer customers shopping online using Meijer pickup or home delivery can also purchase Simply Give donation cards as an add-on to their orders.
“The events of the last nearly two years have taught us all the importance of community members supporting each other,” said Bruce Watson, Exec. Dir. of Open Doors. “We encourage community members to help us feed their neighbors facing food insecurity in Westfield this winter season by purchasing a Meijer Simply Give food donation card during their next shopping trip.”
In light of increased need resulting from COVID-19, Meijer donated more than $7.6 million to Simply Give food pantry partners in 2020 and made an additional $1 million gift in March. Since the program began in November 2008, more than $69 million has been generated for food pantries in the Midwest to distribute to our neighbors in need.
“The cold winter months are a difficult time for people facing food insecurity and food pantries continue to struggle to keep up with the flood of requests they receive daily, especially given the difficult circumstances many families now face amidst the global pandemic,” said Cathy Cooper, Senior Director of Community Partnerships and Giving for Meijer. “The Simply Give program is a way for Meijer customers to partner with us and support the food banks and pantries that feed families in need in their own communities. We certainly couldn’t do it without the support and commitment of our generous customers and team members, who stand beside us in this effort.”
Open Doors is dedicated to serving the people of Westfield who are facing food insecurity in 2022.
About Meijer Philanthropy: Meijer is a family-owned retailer based in Grand Rapids, Mich. with a fundamental philosophy aimed at enriching lives in the communities it serves. Meijer proudly donates more than 6 percent of its net profit each year to charities throughout the Midwest. With hunger as a corporate philanthropic focus, Meijer partners with hundreds of food banks and pantries through its Simply Give and food rescue programs. Meijer also supports education, disaster relief, and health and wellness initiatives. For additional information on Meijer philanthropy, please visit www.meijercommunity.com. Follow Meijer on Twitter @twitter.com/Meijer and @twitter.com/MeijerPR or become a fan at www.facebook.com/meijer.