Walmart and Sam's Club 'Fight Hunger. Spark Change.' campaign kicks off 20 years of partnership with Feeding America

Rhea-AI Summary

Walmart and Sam's Club have launched their 12th annual Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign, marking 20 years of partnership with Feeding America. Running March 1-31, 2025, this initiative has helped secure over 2 billion meals for people facing hunger in local communities.

The partnership has generated approximately $271 million in donations, including $177 million from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation, and $95 million from customers and members. Since 2006, they have donated over 9 billion pounds of food to local food banks.

The campaign offers three ways to participate: purchasing participating products (generating donations of $0.10 per meal at Walmart and $0.50 at Sam's Club), donating at checkout, or contributing through Feeding America's campaign website. All donations remain local, supporting food banks within each store's community.

Positive

• Long-term successful charitable partnership demonstrating corporate social responsibility
• Significant food donation volume of 9 billion pounds since 2006
• Substantial financial contribution of $271 million to date
• $9.75 million new grant in 2024 expanding retail donation programs

Negative

• None.

Now in its 12th year, the annual cause marketing campaign has helped Feeding America® partner food banks secure more than 2 billion meals* for people facing hunger in local communities. 

CHICAGO, Feb. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- For the 12th consecutive year, all U.S. Walmart and Sam's Club locations are teaming up with their customers, members, suppliers and associates for the Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign to support the Feeding America network of partner food banks. 

The annual donation campaign, running March 1-31, kicks off a celebration of 20 years of partnership between Walmart, Sam's Club and Feeding America that's grown into one of the most transformative collaborations in the hunger relief space – with approximately $271 million in donations – including more than $177 million from the company and the Walmart Foundation and nearly $95 million from customers and members. Walmart and Sam's Club have also donated more than 9 billion pounds of food to the Feeding America network of local food banks and partner agencies since 2006.

"Our extraordinary partnership is grounded in a shared belief that ending hunger in America is possible," said Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, Feeding America's CEO. "For two decades, Walmart and Sam's Club have brought bold, impactful ideas to the table, and executed them consistently and with purpose. We are grateful for all they've done and all that's to come." 

The Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign will run online and in stores from March 1-March 31. Shoppers have three easy ways to support people facing hunger: 

• For every participating product purchased in store or online at Walmart.com or SamsClub.com, the supplier will donate the monetary equivalent of at least one meal* ($0.10) on behalf of a Feeding America partner food bank at Walmart and five meals* ($0.50) at Sam's Club, up to applicable limits. See specially marked packages for full details.
  
  
• Donate at check-out in stores or clubs or online at Walmart.com and the Walmart app.
  
  
• Donate at Feeding America's Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign site at either www.FeedingAmerica.org/Walmart or www.FeedingAmerica.org/SamsClub.

During the campaign, all donations stay local. Sales-activated supplier donations and register donations are directed to a local Feeding America partner food bank located within a store or club's community. Since its inception in 2014, the campaign has helped to secure nearly 2 billion meals* for people facing hunger. 

"For the past 20 years, Feeding America, Walmart and Sam's Club have collaborated to help people live better in the communities we serve. Together, we have supported the charitable meal system's ability to recover more food donations from retailers and use tech-powered solutions that help food banks and agencies serve more people," said Julie Gehrki, president of the Walmart Foundation and senior vice president at Walmart. "The Fight Hunger Spark Change. campaign is another way we build support for the fight against hunger by engaging our suppliers, customers and members to join us in giving to local food banks across the U.S."

Walmart and Feeding America's partnership began in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when Walmart Foundation made a $1 million donation for disaster relief.

In addition to more disaster relief support – including major gifts in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024 – multi-year investments from Walmart and Walmart Foundation have helped fund Feeding America's efforts to maximize food sourcing and sharing, as well as to expand its capacity to source and distribute food more efficiently to households experiencing food insecurity.

Walmart and the Walmart foundation have funded retail agency capacity grants totaling $15.75 million – including a $9.75 million donation in 2024 – that have reached more than 20 food banks and hundreds of partner agencies across the country. The grants expand retail donation programs and help fund personnel, equipment and transportation solutions that result in increased amounts of food distributed to partner agencies, including food pantries and meal programs. 

Those grants have helped equip programs like the Rolling Store Food Pantry, an agency partner of the Heart of Alabama Food Bank which has for years been operated out of a school bus in and around Montgomery, Alabama. With a recent grant, program lead Jeremy Lynch bought a refrigerated freezer trailer, allowing the group to safely transport more perishable donated food to distribution events in several rural counties. 

"It's been a game changer for sure," Lynch said, noting the new trailer system helped distribute food to about 8,500 families in 2024. Beyond the increased frequency of pickups and pounds of food, the convenience of the new trailer affords Lynch and his fellow volunteers more capacity and more time to help their communities by standing up a sustainable program. "These grants are making an impact that's far-reaching and that's something you can't really put a number to," he said. 

The 24 participating suppliers for this year's Fight Hunger. Spark Change campaign for Walmart include: B&G Foods, Inc., Ben's Original, Bush Brothers & Company, Celsius, The Coca-Cola Company, Conagra Foods, Dole Packaged Foods, LLC, Ferrero USA, General Mills, Hershey Salty Snacks, Hidden Valley Original Ranch, Kellanova, Keurig Dr. Pepper, Kodiak, Kraft Heinz, Lipton Tea, Materne, Mondelez International, Olipop, Pepsi-Cola Advertising & Marketing, Inc., The Hain Celestial Group, WK Kellogg Co, Unilever and Utz Quality Foods. 

The six participating suppliers for Sam's Club include: General Mills, Kellanova, Kodiak, Kraft Heinz, Nestlé and Unilever. 

To learn more about the campaign, visit https://www.feedingamerica.org/campaigns/fight-hunger-spark-change. 

*Currently, $1 helps provide at least 10 meals secured by Feeding America® on behalf of local partner food banks. 

Media Contact
Emily James
Feeding America

About Feeding America 
Feeding America is committed to an America where no one is hungry. We support tens of millions of people who experience food insecurity to get the food and resources they say they need to thrive as part of a nationwide network of food banks, statewide food bank associations, food pantries and meal programs. We also invest in innovative solutions to increase equitable access to nutritious food, advocate for legislation that improves food security and work to address factors that impact food security, such as health, cost of living and employment. We partner with people experiencing food insecurity, policymakers, organizations, and supporters, united with them in a movement to end hunger. Visit FeedingAmerica.org to learn more.

About Walmart
Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) is a people-led, tech-powered omnichannel retailer helping people save money and live better — anytime and anywhere — in stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, approximately 270 million customers and members visit more than 10,750 stores and numerous eCommerce websites in 19 countries. With fiscal year 2025 revenue of $681 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.1 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy, and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/walmart, on X (formerly known as Twitter) at twitter.com/walmart, and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/walmart.

About Sam's Club
Sam's Club, the $90 billion division of Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT), is a membership club that is pioneering the future of retail experience, providing exclusive access to value, convenience and modern omnichannel shopping options to millions of members in 600 clubs across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. With over 40 years of innovating in the category, Sam's Club continues to redefine club membership shopping with its curated assortment of quality fresh food and Member's Mark® items, in addition to market leading technologies and services like Scan & Go™, curbside pickup and home delivery. Visit the Sam's Club Newsroom, shop at SamsClub.com or connect with Sam's Club on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest.

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SOURCE Feeding America

FAQ

How much has Walmart's Fight Hunger Spark Change campaign raised in total donations?

The campaign has generated approximately $271 million in total donations, with $177 million from Walmart and its Foundation, and $95 million from customers and members.

How many meals has WMT's hunger campaign helped secure since its inception?

Since 2014, the Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign has helped secure nearly 2 billion meals for people facing hunger.

How much food has WMT donated to Feeding America since 2006?

Walmart and Sam's Club have donated more than 9 billion pounds of food to Feeding America's network since 2006.

What is WMT's most recent grant to support food banks in 2024?

Walmart made a $9.75 million retail agency capacity grant in 2024, part of total grants worth $15.75 million.