Wal-Mart Associates Give Time To The North Texas Food Bank on MLK Day of Service

Volunteers Packing Boxes

“Life’s most urgent question is: What are you doing for others?” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

On the inaugural Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, 70 Walmart associates gave up a day off to give back to their community. These employees joined 90 other community volunteers to pack and sort the second-highest amount of food ever in a 3-hour Volunteer Experience, according to North Texas Food Bank Warehouse Coordinator Randy Gould.

Senior Manager of Public Affairs at Wal-Mart, Kellie Duhr, told KDAF that Walmart is the largest food donator in the United States, and that helping the North Texas Food Bank “just fits” with their business.

Associates that attended the event also signed a banner with their dreams for a better, hunger-free North Texas.

Chief Philanthropy Officer at the Food Bank, Colleen Brinkmann, told KDAF that Walmart was the “largest corporate supporter of Feeding America, our national hunger organization,” and that “they are a key supporter of the North Texas Food Bank, providing premier product through the Retail Food Pick-Up Program, as well as giving their time, and financial support which helps with the operations of the Food Bank.”

This dedicated group helped pack and sort 73,000 meals to go out to the 53,000 families that the North Texas Food Bank serves. These volunteers serve an especially crucial purpose in getting food out to families in our service area, and we thank Walmart for joining us on this Day of Service!

You can learn more about Walmart Gives Back at www.walmartgiving.com

Nick Jonas Gives To The North Texas Food Bank!


Nick Jonas and Serena Pruitt Assemble Bags of Food 4 Kids

The North Texas Food Bank rang in the New Year with Mr. President himself, Nick Jonas. Just hours before he took the stage with the Administration on the opening night of his worldwide tour, Jonas spent a little time in our warehouse taking a tour, listening to a nutrition education class, and interviewing with NBC’s The Biggest Loser.

Much to the excitement of our 140 volunteers from Kroger and Chase, Jonas joined them on the Food 4 Kids line, assembling bags of healthy snacks for hungry North Texas kids to eat on the weekends. Then, with a group of kid volunteers, Jonas headed to the Community kitchen to learn a lesson in healthy eating from Nutrition Education Manager Katherine Lindholm.

Food Bank President and CEO Jan Pruitt’s granddaughter Serena , who joined us at the Food Bank for the festivities, told The Dallas Morning News that Jonas “inspires a lot of kids, including myself. He knows his rights and his wrongs, and he knows that other kids don’t have what he has. And he’s thankful for what he has.” Pruitt hopes that Jonas’ appearance at the Food Bank will inspire future generations of philanthropists to fight hunger.

NBC’s The Biggest Loser was on hand to help raise awareness for the Pound For Pound Challenge. For every pound pledged, General Mills will donate 14 cents, or the cost of delivering one pound of groceries, to Feeding America.

Before he left for sound check at the House of Blues, Jonas spoke to the crowd and thanked them for their service. He also spoke about the importance of young people getting involved and contributing to causes like fighting hunger.

Much to the surprise of our staff, Nick made a $25,000 donation to the Food Bank from the Jonas Brothers’ Children for the Children foundation after a brief consultation with his father. The youngest of the JoBros told Dallas Morning News reporter Diane Jennings “If there’s something I can do to help – volunteer here today or giving a financial gift – that’s something I can do.”

Nick’s donation will help provide meals for 100,000 people in the North Texas area.

Learn more about the Pound For Pound Challenge

Learn more about Food 4 Kids

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.