IKEA and Feeding America Partner to Fight Child Hunger
Marketwired
CONSHOHOCKEN, PA--(Marketwired - June 30, 2014) - At IKEA, children are the most important people in the world, so IKEA looks to support programs that make a difference in the lives of the many children. For this reason, IKEA has partnered with Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization, to sponsor an in-store program which supports national children's hunger programs. These include giving free meals and snacks to low income children, as well as giving out nutritious easy-to-prepare food for children to take home on weekends -- AND other programs to meet the needs of hungry children.
Running from July 1 - July 31, 2014, the Feeding the Future IKEA US program will donate $1 to Feeding America for every healthy kids meal purchased in any IKEA US restaurant. Additionally, IKEA customers can add donations of their chosen amount to food purchases in the IKEA restaurant, Swedish Food Market and Bistro. All added donations also will go to Feeding America.* The two healthy kids meals in the Feeding the Future program include moose shaped pasta in tomato sauce, yogurt and a lingonberry drink. Or grilled chicken with carrot sticks, strawberries and string cheese. Each meal costs only $1.99.
"Feeding America is committed to providing the most nutritious products possible to those we serve," said Leah Ray, Vice President of Corporate Partnerships. "With IKEA's partnership and Feeding the Future program donations, we are able to support a healthier lifestyle for all children and will be able to continue that message by adding to the over 800 million pounds of produce we already provide to our local network of food banks."
"Our Feeding the Future Program, in partnership with Feeding America, is a great way for IKEA US to reach out to our communities and support Feeding America's child hunger programs. IKEA is committed to healthy eating and working along with Feeding America helps to support those in need, as well as give our customers the opportunity to make a difference," commented Gerd Diewald, IKEA US Food Manager.
Feeding America Food Programs in this Donation Include:
THE SCHOOL PANTRY PROGRAM
The mission of the School Based Pantry Program is to help alleviate child hunger in America through the provision of food to children and their families at school.
KIDS CAFÉ
Kids Café programs provide free meals and snacks to low-income children through a variety of community locations where children already congregate during the afterschool hours -- such as Boys & Girls Clubs, churches or public schools.
SUMMER FOOD PROGRAM
The mission of the Summer Food Program is to meet the needs of hungry children in the summer by providing them with nutritious meals and snacks when other resources are not available.
BACKPACK PROGRAM
The mission of the BackPack Program is to provide children facing hunger with nutritious and easy-to-prepare food to take home on weekends and school vacations when children are most at risk.
Feeding America's mission is to feed America's hungry through a nationwide network of more than 200 member food banks and engage our country in the fight to end hunger.
Hunger Facts
In many ways, America is the land of plenty. But for 1 in 6 people in the United States, hunger is a very real struggle. Many people believe that the problems associated with hunger are confined to small pockets of society, certain areas of the country, or certain neighborhoods, but the reality is much different.
Right now, millions of Americans are at risk of hunger. These are often hard-working adults, children and seniors who simply cannot always make ends meet and may be forced to go without food.
Research has shown that food insecurity and hunger are serious threats to children's health, growth and development. The nation's economic growth depends on the well-being of our children. As such, the existence of childhood hunger in the United States threatens future American prosperity.
In the United States, more than one out of five children lives in a household with food insecurity, which means they do not always know where they will find their next meal. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), in 2012, 15.9 million children under 18 in the United States live in this condition -- unable to consistently access nutritious and adequate amounts of food necessary for a healthy life.
*IKEA donation up to a maximum of $50,000 not including direct customer contributions.
**Facts from Feeding America website
About IKEA
The IKEA vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people. Our business idea supports this vision by offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them. There are currently 305 IKEA Group stores in 26 countries. There are 38 IKEA stores in the US. In FY 13, the IKEA Group had 135,000 co-workers, 684 million visitors to the stores and 1.3 billion visitors to IKEA.com. IKEA incorporates sustainability into day-to-day business and supports initiatives that benefit children and the environment.
Feeding America is a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks that leads the fight against hunger in the United States. Together, we provide food to more than 37 million people through 61,000 food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters in communities across America. Feeding America also supports programs that improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate. Together we can solve hunger. Visit http://www.feedingamerica.org/. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FeedingAmerica or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FeedingAmerica.
