And you helped make it happen!
As a result of their holiday giving promotions that allow customers and others to purchase meals to help Columbus’ hungry residents, Whole Foods Market presented the Lutheran Social Services and the Broad Street Food Pantry with donations of $74,629 in non-perishable products.
“It’s part of Whole Foods dedication to local communities,” says Tiffany Dixon, Marketing Team Leader for the Whole Foods Market Upper Arlington store.
“The need continues to be as great as it ever has been,” says Jennifer Hamilton, Director of Communications for Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio. “We still have way too many people who want to work, but aren’t able to get enough hours or make enough per hour to put food in the table all month long. You can still fill Ohio Stadium more than twice with the number of people in Franklin County who need help with food.”
Lutheran Social Services serves anyone in Franklin County meeting the guidelines of 200% of the federal poverty level.
“About 40% of the food is eaten by children and more than 10% by seniors,” says Hamilton. “One group that we continue to see a lot of are grandparents and great grandparents raising children. We frequently see families with children and seniors and no one in between.”
The charity also provides food service in twelve other counties.
Whole Foods Market donated approximately $27k in product to LSS Westside Food Pantry and $48k in product to the Broad Street Food Pantry.
“Each year our team members choose a good pantry to support at each store,” says Dixon. “We look for organizations that feed a large number of residents in our communities.”
For more information, visit WholeFoodsMarket.com. To volunteer at Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio, visit LSSCO.org, or volunteer with Broad Street Food Pantry.