Albertsons’ fundraising campaign during September resulted in nearly $6 million of customer donations at the register to help people sign up for federal meal programs, the grocer announced Tuesday.
Albertsons said the donations will fund grants awarded through the grocer’s Nourishing Neighbors charitable program to community organizations that help qualified people sign up for SNAP and WIC. The grant recipients help with enrollment, outreach, transportation and other barriers that can prevent people from participating in federal meal programs, per the announcement, which noted that more than 130 local food banks, soup kitchens and community organizations will receive the grants.
The campaign builds upon the goals Albertsons set for the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in September 2022, which include aiming to help 50,000 eligible people enroll in SNAP and WIC benefits in 2023.
Albertsons also pledged to communicate 50 million evidence-based suggestions for improving nutrition to its online customers by 2024. The grocer also committed to introducing 1,000 new nutritious recipes and launching six health campaigns to increase awareness of federal nutrition guidelines by 2025.
“There are millions of people in this country who need access to nutritious food and qualify for federal food assistance programs, but they don’t know how to enroll or get the support they need,” Albertsons Companies Foundation President and Executive Director Christy Duncan Anderson said in a statement.
Albertsons’ efforts to boost the number of people who sign up for SNAP and WIC not only supports its White House conference commitment but also could increase the customer base for its banners. SNAP households account for nearly a quarter of consumer goods spending in the U.S., according to a report earlier this year from consumer insights and data firm Numerator.
But in recent months, retailers have been grappling with changes in consumer spending after temporary pandemic-related boosts to SNAP benefits ended earlier this year. During the grocery chain’s first-quarter earnings report, Albertsons CEO Vivek Sankaran told investors that the company is “mindful” of how slowing inflation and government assistance will impact the business.
Albertsons has worked to make shopping at its banners more enticing to participants in federal assistance programs. Albertsons noted in the announcement that all of its banners accept SNAP and EBT Cash as online payment methods for pickup and delivery orders, subject to state regulation.
