Giant Co. Marks Hunger Action Month

The Giant Co. is launching 30 days of activities in observance of Hunger Action Month with the inaugural Giant Grocery Grab, in Harrisburg, Pa., during which contestants will try to out-shop one another, raising awareness for area hunger relief organizations. In response to increased pressure on the charitable food network, throughout the month of September, The Giant Co. is joining forces with customers and suppliers to raise awareness, donate funds and volunteer to help eradicate hunger in the communities that the grocer serves.

Begun in 2008, Hunger Action Month is the Feeding America national network of food banks’ awareness campaign created to spur the public to act on the issue of hunger.

“While The Giant Co. is committed to helping our local food banks and pantries provide meals to families in need year-round, Hunger Action Month is a time to spark increased awareness and leverage our partnerships to help drive significant change within our communities,” said Glennis Harris, SVP of customer experience at the grocer. “When families come together around the table, they should be connecting with one another, not worrying about where their next meal may come from.”

Among the activities that The Giant Co. has scheduled throughout the month to support families dealing with food insecurity: 

• The Giant Grocery Grab will take place at the Giant on 6301 Grayson Road in Harrisburg on Sept. 8. The contestants, including Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding, Central Pennsylvania Food Bank Executive Director Joe Arthur, Harlem Globetrotter Darnell “Speedy” Artis and Harrisburg influencer Sara Bozich, will take part in a friendly competition to benefit central Pennsylvania hunger relief organizations.
• Donating a total of $400,000 to 20 partner food banks across the company’s four-state market area.
• Inviting customers to support Feeding America and local food banks by rounding up the dollar amount on their purchases at checkout or by purchasing a reusable bag, with 50 cents of each bag going toward hunger action efforts.
• In partnership with Unilever, Quaker and PepsiCo, on Sept. 8 and 9, The Giant Co. will give out 5,000 backpacks full of food to school kids in central Pennsylvania, Philadelphia and Hagerstown, Md.
• To mark National Peanut Butter Day (Sept. 13), on Sept. 10-16, for every 28-ounce jar of private label peanut butter sold in stores or online, The Giant Co. will donate a jar to local partner hunger relief organizations.
• For Hunger Action Day on Sept. 17, Giant and Martin’s team members from across the grocer’s four-state footprint will volunteer with food bank partners.
• Stuff-a-Truck donation events at The Giant Co.’s Martinsburg, W.V., and Quarryville and Trexlertown, Pa., stores Sept. 17 – 19, during which customers and associates can donate nonperishable food to help local food bank partners.
• Every Tuesday in September at 12 p.m., The Giant Co. nutritionists will hold a hunger action virtual class series on such topics as food insecurity, paying it forward, eating healthy on a budget and $4 meal inspirations. Each week will also feature an orange (the color of hunger action) -inspired recipe demonstration and a challenge to the audience.

Giant Co.’s ongoing hunger relief efforts include its long-running Meat the Needs program, which has donated more than 15 million pounds of meat that would otherwise have gone unsold to food banks.

With more than 35,000 associates supporting nearly 190 stores, 132 pharmacies, 107 fuel stations, and 150-plus online pickup hubs and grocery delivery service in hundreds of ZIP codes, The Giant Co., based in Carlisle, Pa., encompasses the following banners: Giant, Martin’s, Giant Heirloom Market, Giant Direct and Martin's Direct. Parent company Ahold Delhaize USA, a division of Zaandam, Netherlands-based Ahold Delhaize, is No. 10 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in the United States.