Many families continue to struggle to make ends meet and put food on the table, however, with programs like Simply Give, many can get the help they need. Joyce Yaklin knows this firsthand.
“Our budget is blown this year with what’s happening,” said Joyce, the Pantry Coordinator at the St. Paul of Tarsus Catholic Church in Clinton Township, who explained the rising need has made it difficult to keep the pantry’s shelves stocked. “It’s an overwhelming time for everybody.”
But thanks to a surprise donation from the Meijer Simply Give program, the church now has room to breathe, receiving funds as part of our larger $1 million donation to Midwest food pantries earlier this spring. The donation was divided equally among our 468 Midwest food pantry partners that participated in the 2022 Simply Give program.
Recently, a local family fell behind on mortgage payments on their modest home after the father was injured in a work accident and hadn’t been able to earn a paycheck. The mother found herself choosing between a roof over her family’s head and food on the table. But because of Simply Give’s generous donation, the church could support this family and many others facing similar challenges.
“This donation arrived at a perfect time, as our pantry has become vital to an increasing number of households,” Joyce said. “As always, we appreciate Meijer’s continued support to strengthen the community.”
Overall, the Simply Give program is partially funded by our generous customers through four campaigns a year. The current Simply Give campaign will run through July 1 where customers are encouraged to pick up a $10 Simply Give donation card upon checkout. Once purchased, the card is converted into a Meijer Food-Only Gift Card and donated directly to the local food pantry selected by the store to feed hungry families. Meijer customers shopping online using Meijer Pickup or Home Delivery can also pick up Simply Give donation cards as an add-on to their orders.
“This program keeps us afloat,” Joyce said. “We don’t always have the money to keep the pantry full stocked, and unfortunately, we’ve cut back on what we’ve given our clients. Meijer Simply Give keeps us running so we can provide better meals for families.”