How Albertsons Cos. Is Helping End the Cycle of Hunger

In an effort to help alleviate the effects of food insecurity throughout the communities it serves, Albertsons Cos. and its Albertsons Cos. Foundation have designated June 6 as Nourishing Neighbors Day. The foundation has also announced the recipients of three Nourishing Neighbors Spark Grants totaling $9 million.

Nourishing Neighbors is a charitable program of the Albertsons foundation and helps ensure at-risk children, adults, seniors and families have access to the food they need. The program raised more than $6.2 million last month through customer donations made at the register across every Albertsons store.

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“By declaring June 6 as Nourishing Neighbors Day, our goal is to raise continued awareness and support for Americans who continually struggle with where their next meal is coming from,” said Christy Duncan Anderson, president and executive director for Albertsons Cos. Foundation. “Thanks to the incredible generosity of our customers, the Nourishing Neighbors program is able to help millions of people gain access to a nutritious meal.”

The multi-year Nourishing Neighbors Spark Grants have been awarded to nonprofit organizations that are spearheading innovative programs that aim to create long-term solutions for moving people out of food insecurity. Each of the following entities will receive $3 million from the foundation:

• United Way Bay Area – United Way Bay Area mobilizes a network of community partners to effectively respond to food insecurity by collaborating across sectors including nonprofits and government agencies to address both short-term essential human needs and advocate for long-term systemic changes in the pursuit of a healthier, more equitable region. The Nourishing Neighbors grant will fund a pilot program with 100 low-income families in Alameda County by 2027. 
• Share our Strength – Share Our Strength is a nonprofit organization working to end hunger and poverty through its No Kid Hungry campaign and other programs. With the Nourishing Neighbors grant, Share Our Strength will design and fund a program to help single mothers break the cycle of poverty through career coaching; stipends for food, housing and childcare; counseling support; tax services and more. 

• FIND Food Bank – FIND is a regional food bank in Southern California feeding an average of 150,000 people each month through their network of 150 distribution sites and over 80 community-based partners. The food bank will use their grant to create a program that addresses food insecurity and its root causes to end hunger today, tomorrow and for a lifetime. 

“Our grocery stores, including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Shaw’s, Jewel-Osco and Tom Thumb, have a long-standing history of donating money, fresh food and pantry staples to area food banks, soup kitchens, community fridges and more to help ensure our neighbors in need have access to a nutritious meal,” said Susan Morris, COO for Albertsons Cos. and board chair for Albertsons Cos. Foundation. “While regular food distribution is an important and critical part of addressing hunger, we developed these grants so we can advance our efforts further by supporting organizations that are at the forefront of empowering individuals and families to achieve lasting food security.”

Additionally, Nourishing Neighbors debuted a new PSA campaign that aims to inspire communities to get involved and help other Americans who are food insecure. The campaign declares that “everyone should be welcome at the table,” and has been rolled out nationally across TV, radio, digital, print and a Times Square digital billboard in New York City

Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons operates more than 2,200 retail stores in 34 states. The company is No. 9 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of top food and consumables retailers in North America. PG also named the company as one of its Retailers of the Century.