The BJ’s Charitable Foundation awarded a grant of $21,000 to the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank in celebration of BJ’s Wholesale Club’s 30th anniversary. The Foodbank is one of 30 food banks in the Feeding America network to be awarded a grant.
The Foodbank will utilize this grant to provide much needed equipment such as insulated pallet covers, thermal blankets and refrigerators to equip its member agencies — like hot meal sites, food pantries and shelters— with the cold storage capacity needed for perishable food product to distribute more food to local families struggling with hunger.
“We are thrilled to have been awarded one of the 30th anniversary grants by BJ’s Charitable Foundation,” said Dan Flowers, president & CEO of the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank. “Because of this grant, we will be able to work with our local member agency programs and help them obtain healthy foods and ensure that food makes it into the hands of our neighbors in need.”
Three of the local agencies benefiting from this award are partners in the Foodbank’s Direct Distribution program, which provides enough food in one distribution to help as many as 300 households in one day by distributing directly to community members in need. The award will help the Foodbank transport more perishable food products such as dairy and produce, and will provide additional cold storage for those partner sites in Carroll, Portage, Summit, Stark, Medina and Wayne counties.
Sandy Calvert, executive director at Feeding Medina, is particularly excited to be the recipient of a new refrigerator and said, “Knowing there will be refrigerated products available at the direct distribution is a God send. It will be a great benefit to those we serve, who often ask why we don’t have refrigerated items. The new commercial refrigerator is going to change lives here for us at Feeding Medina.”
Local BJ’s associates from its Akron Club and North Canton Club recently volunteered at the Foodbank to help celebrate the partnership.
“BJ’s Wholesale Club is proud to reach our 30-year milestone and share our enthusiasm by expanding our role in the fight against hunger,” said Tom Newton, regional operations manager of BJ's Wholesale Clubs in Ohio, “The Foodbank and its local agencies’ need for capacity building will ensure that perishable food can reach the people who need it most in our own backyard.”