As the "Spring Food Hunger Gap" approaches, Walmart and major food companies are rallying together to help raise awareness and donations.
FoodWorldNews joined in helping to raise awareness by speaking with Julie Gehrki, the Senior Director of the Walmart Foundation, to better understand what this "Hunger Gap" truly is.
"At this time each year, the demand from food banks and food pantries increases greatly," Gehrki said. "They have short supply. During the holidays, people donate a lot of food, but it runs out and people need help...One in five is a child, so we have a lot of demand and we have to help them with the supply."
In order to help, Walmart teamed up with Feeding America and began the "Fighting Hunger Together" program.
Companies such as "Campbells Soup, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group and Nestle USA have joined in this year's second annual, nationwide April food drive," USA Today reported.
They will join forces with companies already involved such as "ConAgra Foods, General Mills, Kraft and Kellogg," the article states.
"In May 2010 Walmart made a $2 billion commitment to hunger relief," Gehrki told FoodWorldNews. "We have been on a journey for the last couple of years and Feeding America is one of the main partners. We came to this work because we are the nation's largest grocer and we believe we have a responsibility to help."
The program is expected to donate 35 million meals this spring. If you would like to be involved or want to vote for a local food bank to receive a grant, Gehrki said it is a very simple process.
"We are asking customers to go to Walmart.com/hunger to vote for one of 300 agencies or food banks. They can also learn how they can donate and help out in their community," she said. "One-hundred of those agencies will win grants. You can check out all of it on the website, they are very transparent about how they use their funds."
As of now, many food banks are facing shortages. Feeding America took in 800 million pounds of food donations in April, May and June of 2012, but that is 1,000 pounds less than the donations from October to December, according to USA Today.
In addition to "Fighting Hunger Together", the National Association of Letter Carriers will be hosting its' 21st annual food drive on May 11.
