Love In the Name of Christ and Meijer Fight Food Insecurity in Hudsonville, Jenison and Grandville Through Simply Give Hunger Relief Program
Campaign set to run through Jan. 2
HUDSONVILLE, Mich. – Love In the Name of Christ (Love INC) is proud to announce a partnership
with Meijer to provide much-needed relief to local families facing food insecurity through the retailer’s
customer-driven hunger relief program, Simply Give.
“During the stay at home order, Love INC served over 16,500 extra days of food to those living in
Hudsonville, Jenison and Grandville. This was an unexpected expense for the ministry, making us
thankful for the partnership we have in Meijer during their Simply Give fundraising campaign and for the
community members who contribute” said Lindsey Hicks, Director of Development at Love INC.
Our community continues to feel the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. As uncertainty around
guidelines and wage disruptions place extreme pressure on low-income families, food pantries are seeing
a rapid increase in demand in their communities.
How to participate:
Each Meijer Simply Give campaign replenishes the shelves of more than 250 food pantries in Michigan,
Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Wisconsin. The program encourages customers to purchase $10
Simply Give donation cards, which are then converted into Meijer food-only gift cards and given to a local
food pantry in the store’s community.
Love INC will benefit from donation cards purchased at the Hudsonville and Jenison Meijer Stores now
through Jan. 2. In addition, Meijer will double match any cards purchased on Giving Tuesday, Dec. 1, and
Saturday, Dec. 12, effectively tripling contributions made on those days.
“The events of this year have taught us all the importance of community members supporting each other,”
said Lindsey Hicks. “We encourage community members to help us feed their neighbors facing food
insecurity in Hudsonville, Jenison and Grandville this holiday season by purchasing a Meijer Simply Give
food donation card during their next shopping trip.”
In light of increased need resulting from COVID-19, Meijer has already donated more than $3 million to
Simply Give food pantry partners this year. Since the program began in November 2008, more than $58
million has been generated for food pantries in the Midwest to distribute to our neighbors in need.
“The holidays are a difficult time for people facing food insecurity and food pantries continue to struggle
to keep up with the flood of requests they receive daily, especially given the difficult circumstances many
families now face amidst the global pandemic,” said Cathy Cooper, Senior Director of Community
Partnerships and Giving for Meijer. “The Simply Give program is a way for Meijer customers to partner
with us and support the food banks and pantries that feed families in need in their own communities. We
certainly couldn’t do it without the support and commitment of our generous customers and team
members, who stand beside us in this effort.”
About Love INC: Love INC exists to mobilize the local church to transform lives and communities in
the name of Christ. Love INC is dedicated to serving 60 families in Hudsonville, Jenison and Grandville
each week.
About Meijer Philanthropy: Meijer is a family-owned retailer based in Grand Rapids, Mich. with a
fundamental philosophy aimed at enriching lives in the communities it serves. Meijer proudly donates
more than 6 percent of its net profit each year to charities throughout the Midwest. With hunger as a
corporate philanthropic focus, Meijer partners with hundreds of food banks and pantries through its
Simply Give and food rescue programs. Meijer also supports education, disaster relief, and health and
wellness initiatives. For additional information on Meijer philanthropy, please visit
www.meijercommunity.com.
Lindsey Hicks, 616-662-3300
[email protected]