This month Walmart customers can feed more than just themselves while checking out. Hoosier Hill Food Bank has begun its campaign “Fight Hunger, Spark Change,” parterned with HHFB's biggest donor Walmart.
The third annual campaign will take place until April 25. Executive Director and CEO Julio Alonso said he hopes to raise awareness of hunger and to surpass achievements from last year.
“Hunger is a problem,” Alonso said. “It’s about awareness.”
Alonso said the campaign has changed throughout its three years and growth is still possible. Last year the campaign raised almost $15,000, and Alonso said he is hoping they will break $20,000 this year.
The campaign is made up of several parts, and Walmarts in several Indiana cities — Bloomington, Bedford, Spencer and Paoli — are participating.
For every marked product bought by customers at these stores, one meal will be donated to HHFB.
Customers also have the option to donate at the register, or they can support the campaign online without a purchase.
“But even if you’re not shopping, you can support the campaign online every day with one of the social media triggers,” Alonso said.
The campaign's message will be widely spread through the hashtag #FightHunger, on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Walmart paid an initial amount of $1.5 million to kick off the campaign in March. They also promised to pay another $1.5 million for the support of the social-media aspect — a goal that has already been reached halfway through the campaign, Alonso said.
While HHFB is an affiliate of the national organization Feeding America, most of its funding and volunteers are from the local counties in their service area. They have 2,000 to 3,000 volunteers annually assist them, Alonso said.
“Most of our funding is local,” Alonso said. “Folks from all around our service area can support us.”
Alonso said the campaign will also encourage a more aware response to this issue of hunger throughout the year.
“It’s primarily about awareness and engagement of the public,” Alonso said.
The focal points for HHFB are the ideas of donate, advocate and volunteer, Alonso said. These are the things that the campaign is really hoping to press.
“There’s a lot they can do,” Alonso said. “People often think they can’t make a difference. People drive the solution to this problem.”
