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BOISE, Idaho– Albertsons Companies, Inc. and The Albertsons Companies Foundation have unveiled a bold new initiative to fight hunger in local communities. During the South by Southwest Conference and Festivals, the grocery giant announced its commitment to enabling 1.5 billion meals by 2030. This ambitious goal builds on the success of its previous milestone of providing over one billion meals.
“At Albertsons, we remain committed to fighting food insecurity in the communities we serve today while working to create lasting solutions to end hunger tomorrow, and forever,” said Jennifer Saenz, EVP of Pharmacy and E-Commerce for Albertsons and Board Chair for The Foundation. “The time for change is now as more than 44 million Americans, including 13.4 million children*, face the challenge of food insecurity, and we must come together across communities to solve this hunger crisis.”
In addition to food donations from Albertsons stores, the company’s Nourishing Neighbors program will contribute $10 million annually to combat food insecurity through targeted initiatives. These include the Innovation Spark Fund, the E.A.T. curriculum for middle and high school students, and a coalition dedicated to addressing summer hunger.
Albertsons partnered with Kellanova, No Kid Hungry, and Regen House at SXSW’s Food Track to discuss sustainable solutions to food insecurity.
“Food insecurity is a complex problem that requires collaboration to create long-term, lasting solutions,” said Christy Duncan Anderson, Executive Director of The Foundation. “By partnering with Kellanova, No Kid Hungry and Regen House at such an innovative conference like SXSW, we have the unique opportunity to shine a light on hunger and the urgent need for communities to come together to address food insecurity and brainstorm innovative solutions.”
Since its launch in 2014, Nourishing Neighbors has raised more than $297 million to support nonprofits fighting hunger across the U.S. Albertsons stores continue to play a key role by donating surplus food, contributing more than 92 million pounds in 2023 alone, equating to 76 million meals.
“A key component of our Recipe for Change framework is fighting food insecurity at a local level which is why we’re constantly exploring programs and partnerships that advance localized food donation solutions,” said Suzanne Long, Chief Sustainability and Transformation Officer for Albertsons. “We are incredibly proud of the progress we have made to date, and we’re keen to leverage and implement innovative practices as we work to achieve our new goal of enabling an additional 1.5 billion meals by 2030.”
For more information on The Foundation and Nourishing Neighbors, click here. For the 2024 Recipe for Change Report, click here.
