Ginghamsburg Church and New Path Outreach, Inc. recently received $66,640 in Meijer gift cards – the largest matching gift on record for the Meijer Simply Giveprogram. The Troy Meijer donation will benefit Ginghamsburg and New Path’s three Choice Food Pantries in Tipp City, Fort McKinley/Dayton and Trotwood.
New Path, Inc. Director Marcia Florkey explained, “Not only did New Path supporters, but Ginghamsburg Church attendees, community members and area businesses pitch in to help us raise the funds necessary to maximize the Simply Give matching funds. This gift will feed thousands of hungry individuals and families in the Miami Valley. We are overwhelmed by the support.”
“Hunger is a growing problem in the community, and we are so excited that the Meijer Simply Give program is able to help our food pantry partners address a critical need,” Meijer Spokeswoman Christina Fecher said. “The generosity of our customers and team members, as well as the continued commitment from our pantry partners, is truly inspiring. We cannot thank them enough.”
Each Meijer Simply Give campaign aims to replenish the shelves of nearly 200 food pantries in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. The program encourages customers to purchase $10 Meijer Food Pantry Donation Cards, which are then converted into Meijer gift cards and given to a local food pantry in the store’s community.
Meijer seeds each Simply Give program with $100,000 in grocery gift cards that are divided among all the participating food pantries. This year, Meijer has announced that it will donate $1 million to theSimply Give program.
The Simply Give program runs three times a year for about 10 weeks. Since the program’s inception in November 2008, more than $3.8 million – or nearly 23 million meals – have been donated to an estimated 400 food pantries in the Midwest.
Meijer donates more than 6 percent of its net profits to charity every year.
About Ginghamsburg Church
Ginghamsburg Church is committed to changing the world, serving over 40,000 people annually in Miami and Montgomery Counties through its outreach services. Since 2005, the congregation has invested $5.6 million into sustainable humanitarian projects in the Sudan. A member of the West Ohio Conference of United Methodist Churches, the church has an average annual weekly attendance of 4,632 with church campuses located at Fort McKinley – 3721 W. Siebenthaler Avenue, Dayton, OH 45406 and The Point, 506 E. Main Street, Trotwood, OH 45406. For more information about Ginghamsburg Church, visit our website—ginghamsburg.org.
About New Path, Inc.
The New Path Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit organization based in Tipp City, Ohio, serves the greater Miami Valley area in Ohio by assisting with the basic needs of families to build community, support stability and foster transformation. As an affiliate, non-profit partner with Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church, New Path has grown from a food pantry, opened in 1980, to 19 program areas that provide for physical concerns within the community ranging from food, clothing, cars, furniture, medical equipment and other material assistance to feeding pets in need and providing budgeting and other life skills training designed to provide a hand up to those seeking new life opportunities.
New Path, a United Way agency, also works to engage the entire community by building bridges of understanding across socio-economic lines. For more information about New Path, visit our website—newpathoutreach.org.
About Meijer
Meijer is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer that operates 199 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. As a pioneer of the “one-stop shopping” concept, Meijer stores have evolved through the years to include expanded fresh produce and meat departments, as well as pharmacies, comprehensive electronics departments, garden centers and apparel offerings. Additional information on Meijer and the ability to shop for more can be found at www.meijer.com. Follow Meijer on Twitter @twitter.com/Meijer or become a fan at www.facebook.com/meijer.
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