Youth

One way we support the health of local kids is by giving to children’s hospitals across our footprint, whether by providing toys and supplies from our stores to brighten patients’ days or by offering the funding needed for life-saving equipment. We also support Make-A-Wish, an incredible group that grants wishes for children and youth with life-threatening medical conditions. Our support ranges from hosting shopping sprees as part of a Wish Day for children with critical illnesses, to participating in Walk for Wishes, which raises money to grant wishes.

We believe that the holidays should be a special time of year filled with magic for every child. For decades, Meijer has teamed up with law enforcement agencies and community partners across the Midwest to spread holiday cheer to children in need. The beloved Shop with a Hero and Toys for Tots tradition now encompasses more than 100 events in Meijer stores throughout November and December each year.

We support a wide array of youth development programs that teach children valuable life skills, help them with academics and offer safe spaces to have fun. We are a proud sponsor of Girls on the Run, a program that teaches elementary school girls about healthy habits and self-esteem while training for a 5k run.

Meijer is also a supporter of The First Tee of West Michigan, an organization that helps students succeed academically, socially and athletically. We sponsor the organization’s one-of-a-kind afterschool program, Homework & Hitting, an innovative drop-in program that invites students to do some homework, then offers them time to work on their golf swing, perfect their putting and get tips from coaches.

In addition, our stores frequently support local chapters of the Boys and Girls Club of America, recreation centers and other development programs in their communities, including sponsoring many youth sports teams.

The Fred & Lena Meijer Scholarship is a private scholarship fund established through the Grand Rapids Community Foundation (GRCF) in 1975 to benefit children of Meijer team members. The scholarships have since been expanded to include Meijer team members, as well as their children. Funded through an endowment by the Meijer Foundation, the GRCF awards multiple $4,000 scholarships each year, as well as two $10,000 scholarships, one each in Fred and Lena Meijer’s names.

Fred Meijer believed that continued education and lifelong learning were invaluable. To fuel that learning, we support a wide variety of academic programs, events and capital projects in schools across the Midwest.

We know that no one knows what a community needs better than the community itself, so we support schools by giving donations tailored to their needs – whether they’re for band equipment, kits to teach math and science or to build a much-needed baseball field. We also support schools by supporting teachers, offering them a 15 percent off coupon on classroom essentials, including face masks and hand sanitizer, throughout the 2020-21 school year.