National Co+op Grocers (NCG), a co-op of 167 community-owned grocery stores, has announced efforts to support people going hungry after the federal shutdown interrupted the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap).
The co-op is making a US$50,000 donation to Feeding America, a national network of food banks, nutrition assistance and meal programmes.
Identifying poverty as a root cause of food insecurity, NCG is also handing $50,000 to the Coalition on Human Needs, an alliance of national organisations working to promote public policies that address the needs of low-income and other vulnerable populations.
As community-owned grocery stores, food co-ops have built relationships with local food pantries and community organisations that support people experiencing food insecurity. NCG says its food co-ops donate more than 1 million pounds of food to food pantries in their communities each year and collectively, donate more than $9m a year to local community organisations.
NCG co-ops are also offering promotional pricing on their value line of grocery basics – more than 300 Field Day brand products – from 5 November to 2 December. Field Day products are part of NCG food co-ops’ Co+op Basics programme, which offers quality grocery staples at more affordable prices.
In addition, for every product purchased during this period, food co-ops will donate five cents to North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems, a national nonprofit addressing food insecurity, economic disparities and the loss of traditional food knowledge for Indigenous communities in North America.
