CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO- October 18, 2012- The Southeast Missouri Food Bank has received a donation from Walmart Foundation’s Associate Choice Program to acquire food to support programs and services to hungry Southeast Missourians.
With the commitment of involving associates, the Walmart Foundation created the Associate Choice Program. This is an interactive campaign allowing Walmart and Sam’s Club associates to vote on the causes that they identify as important to the company and their community. Southeast Missouri Food Bank was nominated and chosen as one of three organizations in Missouri that associates had the ability to vote for during an online poll from June 30th and August 6th. Southeast Missouri Food Bank placed second place in the voting, which resulted in a $20,000 donation equaling 140,000 meals to hungry Southeast Missourians.
“Southeast Missouri Food Bank is honored to have been nominated for the Associate Choice Program and receive $20,000 to support hunger relief programs,” said Karen Green, Executive Director of Southeast Missouri Food Bank. “The Food Bank is extremely grateful for our relationship with Walmart. Their financial and food donations coupled with their volunteer involvement in our programs have played a major role in improving our ability to help the food insecure in the region.”
Southeast Missouri Food Bank promotes food recovery, acquires & distributes food and household products, and provides community leadership and education on issues of hunger and poverty in an effort to alleviate hunger in the region. Over 170 nonprofit hunger relief agencies in sixteen counties of Southeast Missouri benefit from the Southeast Missouri Food Bank. These counties include Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Dunklin, Madison, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Perry, Reynolds, Ripley, Scott, Ste. Genevieve, Stoddard and Wayne. Member agencies include food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters for the abused and homeless, senior citizen programs, low-income children’s programs and non-profit rehabilitation facilities.