RICHMOND, Va. — September is known nationwide as Hunger Action Month – a time to educate and take action towards reducing the national hunger crisis.
As a tribute to the month and Kroger’s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste program, Kroger Mid-Atlantic is donating $7,500 to Chesterfield, Henrico and Hanover Education Foundations to aid in reducing student lunch debt throughout the school year.
When food-insecure students can’t afford a meal but need to be fed anyways, lunch debt accumulates to the tune of $48,000 per year across the three school systems.
Kroger’s $7,500 donation, – $2,500 to each school system – will cover lunch for more than 1,900 students.
“We approached the schools to see how Kroger could help and learned that student lunch debt is a mounting problem each school year,” said Allison McGee, corporate affairs manager for Kroger Mid-Atlantic. “We see this as another way we can help through our Zero Hunger| Zero Waste program. Students and schools shouldn’t carry the burden of school lunch debt just because a student needs a nourishing meal.”
Separately, in Richmond Public Schools, Kroger is sponsoring the George Wythe High School food pantry. The sponsorship will serve more than 200 families during the 2018-2019 school year.
