Fresh Thyme Earmarks $800K for Food Banks

Fresh Thyme Market has donated more than $800,000 to the Feeding America network of food banks, the Midwest grocer announced. The donation will cover communities within the retailer’s service area and distributed through organizations like the St. Louis Area Foodbank, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, Second Harvest Heartland, Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, Forgotten Harvest and Mid-Ohio Food Bank, among others.  

The funds were raised through a company-wide register campaign in 2021 and via an initiative that allowed shoppers to buy pre-bagged groceries at checkout designed for local food banks. Fresh Thyme is a longtime partner of Feeding America and its affiliated nonprofit groups. 

"As an organization, Fresh Thyme Market is dedicated to providing customers with real quality food within our local communities to promote access to proper nutrition," said Gerald Melville, president of Fresh Thyme Market. "With the culminated efforts of both the Fresh Thyme family and our customers, together we can aid in providing our local communities with resources dedicated to fight against hunger."

One of the beneficiaries of Fresh Thyme’s fundraising efforts is the St. Louis Area Foodbank School-Based Market Program, which received $150,000 from the grocer in December. Fresh Thyme recently expanded its footprint in that region, opening a new concept store in November at the City Foundry STL.

Downers Grove, Ill.-based Fresh Thyme Market is No. 96 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.