Southeastern Grocers Launches Low-Cost Meal Program to Fight Child Hunger
Grocer to donate one million meals to Feeding America® while helping to provide access to healthy meals to children in need
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (July 28, 2022) – Southeastern Grocers Inc. (SEG), parent company and home of Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, together with the SEG Gives Foundation, has launched a new “Break from Hunger” program to provide accessible, healthy meal options to ensure no child goes hungry. Now through Labor Day, customers and associates ages 17 and younger can purchase a specially prepared “Student Summer Lunch Pack” meal box at any Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket or Winn-Dixie deli department for only $21.
According to Feeding America®, one in six children across the United States may experience food insecurity2. As the back-to-school season approaches, it is crucial to help alleviate this issue as insufficient nutrition can damage a child’s growth and development and can negatively impact their ability to thrive in academic and social situations3.
Offering the “Student Summer Lunch Packs” at a low cost through its “Break from Hunger” program allows SEG to expand its support for combating hunger in the Southeast and provide relief to customers at a time most needed. The nourishing meal boxes will include either a ham or turkey sandwich, chips, a fresh fruit item and a bottle of water. Customers can simply request a “Student Summer Lunch Pack” from the deli at any local Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket or Winn-Dixie store. The SEG Gives Foundation will also donate $1 to Feeding America for each purchase of a “Break from Hunger” meal with the goal to donate the equivalent of one million meals4 into the community in partnership with Feeding America network food banks.
The five Southeastern states SEG serves, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi, rank among the top 20 for highest child poverty rates in the country with three states falling within the top five5 . These disheartening numbers highlight a critical need, and SEG is committed to partnering with organizations that focus on creating equitable, long-term solutions to food insecurity.
SEG and the SEG Gives Foundation remain steadfast in their commitment to giving back to local communities in great times of need. Recently, the grocer and its charitable arm donated $140,000 to seven Feeding America network food banks in the Southeast to directly help fund hunger-relief initiatives. Additionally, last year alone, SEG and the SEG Gives Foundation donated more than $700,000 back into local communities to help alleviate food insecurity.
1One meal per child per day
2 Feeding America: 2022 Map the Meal Gap
3 Feeding America: Facts about child hunger in America
4$1 helps to provide at least 10 meals secured by Feeding America© on behalf of local member food banks.
5 According to 24/7 Wall St report using data from the U.S. Census Bureau