In honor of Black History Month in February, Kroger stores in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee and Virginia donated more than $86,500 to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)—$67,500 of which was donated to HBCU food pantries to help alleviate food insecurity among students.
Donations were made to the following food pantries: Mimi’s Pantry serving Clark Atlanta University, Spelman College, Morehouse College, Interdenominational Theological Center and Morris Brown College; Jackson State University Food Pantry; Tennessee State University Tiger Pantry; Tougaloo College Food Pantry; Tuskegee University Tiger’s Den Food Pantry; and Virginia University of Lynchburg Food Pantry.
Kroger also made donations to Hampton University in Virginia and Kentucky State University.
According to the #RealCollege survey conducted by Temple University’s Hope Center for College, Community and Justice, 39 percent of student respondents reported being food insecure in the prior 30 days.
“This is an alarming statistic,” said Tim McGurk, Kroger’s regional director. “We are honored to support our HBCUs and the work they are doing to alleviate hunger through campus food pantries.”
The #RealCollege survey also found that rates of food insecurity among students ranged from 42 percent to 56 percent at two-year institutions and from 33 percent to 42 percent at four-year institutions, with an overall weighted average of 43 percent.
“This donation is a testament to Kroger’s commitment to our Zero Hunger | Zero Waste initiative—and our vision to end hunger in the places we call home by 2025,” McGurk said. “Zero Hunger | Zero Waste is designed to address a fundamental absurdity in the nation’s food system: 40 percent of the food produced in the U.S. is thrown away, yet one in nine Americans, including college students, struggles with hunger.”
