With more than 40 million Americans facing a Nov. 1 cutoff of food aid delivered via SNAP [the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] due to the ongoing government shutdown, food banks will be stretched even thinner than usual, according to the New York Times. Hunger is a reality in the U.S.: according to Feeding America, 14.3% of the U.S. population, 47.4 million people, faced food insecurity in 2023.
In response to the immediate crisis, retailers including BJ’s Wholesale Club, H-E-B and DoorDash have stepped up their charitable donations to those facing hunger and food insecurity.
H-E-B Commits $6 Million to Anti-Hunger Efforts
Texas-based H-E-B has committed $5 million to support food banks across the state and $1 million for Meals on Wheels programs. The $5 million will be distributed among food banks in the Feeding Texas network.
“At H-E-B, we are passionate about taking care of Texans,” said Winell Herron, SVP of Public Affairs, Diversity and Environmental Affairs at the supermarket retailer in a statement. “We are proud of our longstanding partnership with these incredible organizations that work year round to support those in need.”
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In addition to these gifts and as part of its year-round hunger relief initiatives, H-E-B also recently held its Help End Hunger donation campaign, which raised nearly $1 million from customers to support Texas food banks. In a separate donation campaign, H-E-B customers helped raise $500,000 for organizations in Texas helping to feed pets in need.
DoorDash to Deliver 1 Million Meals for Free
DoorDash will deliver 1 million meals for the platform’s 300+ Project DASH food bank partners in November, and will waive delivery and service fees for an estimated 300,000 grocery orders for SNAP recipients shopping at Sprouts, Dollar General, Schnucks, Food Lion, Giant Foods, The Giant Company, Hannaford, Stop & Shop, Hy-Vee, Giant Eagle and Wegmans. DoorDash also will donate food, shelf-stable items and household essentials from DashMart stores to local food banks.
“No one should go hungry in America — period,” said Max Rettig, VP and Global Herad of Public Policy at DoorDash in a statement. “Millions of families are worried right now about how they’ll put food on the table. Fighting hunger is core to our mission at DoorDash, and we’re stepping up alongside leading grocers and retailers to help bridge the gap.
“We know this is a stopgap, not a solution,” Rettig added. “But doing nothing simply isn’t an option.”
Project DASH, DoorDash’s effort to power delivery on behalf of food bank partners across the country, has powered a total of 8 million deliveries, equivalent to 135 million meals.
“The food security of millions of people who rely on SNAP is at dire risk,” said Eric Mitchell, President of Alliance to End Hunger in a statement. “We know that the only viable solution is to ensure SNAP benefits are being delivered in full to those in need of food assistance as soon as possible.”
BJ’s Supports Organizations Nominated by its Associates
BJ’s has relied on its associates for ideas about where donations will have the most impact as the wholesale club donates more than $1.2 million to local organizations in 17 states and Washington, D.C. For example, in Staten Island, N.Y., BJ’s will donate $50,000 to the Carl V. Bini Memorial Fund, named for an FDNY firefighter who lost his life on Sept. 11, 2001. The funds will be used to provide groceries, hygiene kits and free health screenings to more than 2,000 underserved residents.
Shannon Ashton, Lead Recruiter at BJ’s, nominated the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro South in Taunton, Mass., where she serves as a volunteer. The $40,000 grant will help expand out-of-school programs focused on academic success, health and wellbeing, leadership development and workforce readiness.
