As part of its Recipe for Change impact framework, Albertsons Cos. and its foundation have established a new goal to donate 1.5 billion meals by 2030 through a combination of surplus food donations and funds raised by its foundation, after meeting the original goal of more than one billion meals.
In addition, the foundation’s Nourishing Neighbors program will invest $10 million annually through various initiatives, including its Innovation Spark Fund, the E.A.T. curriculum for middle and high school students, a coalition created to tackle summer hunger and other programs.
“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 support of the Food Track at SXSW in Austin, Texas, Albertsons teamed up with Kellanova, maker of snacking brands such as Pringles, Cheez-It and Pop-Tarts, No Kid Hungry and Regen House, a collaboration between HowGood, EIT Food and the Institute of Regeneration, to discuss viable hunger solutions.
Christy Duncan Anderson, president and executive director of the foundation, participated in a panel discussion with Stephanie Slingerland, chief philanthropy officer at Kellanova, and Anne Filipic, CEO at No Kid Hungry.
Each participant discussed her organization’s approach to helping eradicate hunger, as well as programs and commitments to continue fighting food insecurity. Attendees were invited to visit three stations at the event – “Today, Tomorrow and Forever” – to learn about actions they can take to help end the cycle of hunger.
“Food insecurity is a complex problem that requires collaboration to create long-term, lasting solutions,” Anderson said.
“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.”
Nourishing Neighbors Program
Nourishing Neighbors, a charitable program of the foundation, seeks to ensure at-risk children, adults, seniors and families have access to food.
In June, Nourishing Neighbors celebrated a decade of fighting hunger in local communities. Since the program’s inception in 2014, it has raised more than $297 million for thousands of nonprofits.
Each year, Albertsons stores donate millions of pounds of food to local food banks, pantries and other organizations. As outlined in its Recipe for Change report, the company gave more than 92 million pounds of food in 2023, which is the equivalent of more than 76 million meals.
In addition, local stores support hunger-relief efforts such as food drives and volunteer initiatives.
“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.”
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