Dairy and food industry groups are joining forces with Detroit Red Wings player Justin Abdelkader to donate $26,000 to buy fresh, nutritious milk for the Food Bank Council of Michigan. The donation was made possible through Michigan-area members of Dairy Farmers of America (DFA)—a national milk marketing cooperative owned by dairy farm families—and its DFA Cares Foundation, the United Dairy Industry of Michigan (UDIM) and SpartanNash, a Fortune 400 company headquartered in Michigan for more than 100 years.
The $26,000 donation will be used to purchase SpartanNash’s Our Family® brand milk from locally-based Country Fresh of Grand Rapids, Mich. The milk will help feed local families through the Food Bank Council of Michigan’s network of seven food banks serving all 83 counties in the state.
SpartanNash’s Our Family private brand milk is available in Family Fare Supermarkets, D&W Fresh Market, Forest Hills Foods, ValuLand and VG’s Grocery stores and independent retailers across the state.
“Milk is a highly requested item at our food banks, but it’s not often donated due to its perishability,” said Dr. Phillip Knight, Executive Director at Food Bank Council of Michigan. “We’re especially grateful for this milk donation right now during the summer months because so many of our Michigan-area children and families might be missing out on their daily access to milk with school not in session.”
Currently, 15 percent of all Michigan residents and 18 percent of all children are considered food insecure. Nationally, according to FeedingAmerica.org, more than 46 million people, including 13 million children, turn to food banks each year for extra support.
“Because real cow’s milk provides nine essential nutrients, including protein and calcium, it is important for growing children to have at least three servings every day,” said Sharon Toth, CEO at UDIM. “We are happy to be a partner in finding solutions to get fresh milk to food-insecure households across Michigan.”
The money was raised through Michigan-area DFA dairy farm family and employee monetary donations to the DFA Cares Foundation, which made a dollar-for-dollar match for every contribution, for a total donation of $11,042. UDIM, along with Justin Abdelkader, matched the DFA Cares donations made in the state of Michigan, up to $10,000. SpartanNash also contributed $5,000 to help support the Food Bank Council of Michigan.
“As dairy farmers, we work hard every day to provide nutritious and delicious dairy products to people in our community and beyond,” said Dan VanDyke, a farmer from Coopersville, Mich., and a member of DFA’s Mideast Area Council. “It’s important to help others out, and I’m incredibly proud to help support this effort, which will benefit individuals and families who are facing tough times throughout Michigan.”
“As a company that takes food places, we understand the importance of having healthy, affordable food that is accessible to everyone in our local communities, and we are proud to be a part of today’s milk donation,” said Meredith Gremel, SpartanNash Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Communications. “Each year, SpartanNash donates more than 5.5 million pounds of food through our corporate retail locations, distribution centers and our MDV military division, because we know how important it is to our local communities that everyone has a healthy, nutritious meal on the table each day.”
The $26,042 check was presented by Detroit Red Wings player Justin Abdelkader to representatives of the Food Bank Council of Michigan at SpartanNash’s annual Fresh and Grocery-Frozen-Dairy Expo, held at the DeVos Place Convention Center on August 1-2. Representatives from DFA, UDIM and SpartanNash were also on hand for the check presentation.
“As an athlete, I know how important nutrition is to my daily performance, so it’s difficult to imagine how a kid can grow and learn without knowing if they will have nutritious food to help them be their best,” Abdelkader said. “That is why I wanted to partner with UDIM on this important initiative.”
The SpartanNash Fresh and Grocery-Frozen-Dairy Expo brings together SpartanNash corporate-owned stores, independent retail customers and vendors to introduce new products, trends and merchandising techniques available through SpartanNash. At the conclusion of the show, all leftover display products are donated to local food banks and pantries, in addition to the Food Bank Council of Michigan’s milk donation.
About Dairy Farmers of America
Dairy Farmers of America is a global food cooperative focusing on quality, innovation and the future of family dairies. While supporting and serving more than 14,500 family farmers, DFA works with some of the world’s largest food companies to develop ingredients that satisfy their customers’ cravings while staying committed to social responsibility and ethical farming. For more information, please visit dfamilk.com.
About the DFA Cares Foundation
The DFA Cares Foundation was established in 2005 as a nonprofit charitable organization. Through the DFA Cares Foundation, DFA provides disaster relief via product and monetary donations, invests in the future of the industry by providing scholarships to students pursuing careers in dairy, and contributes dairy and food products for those in need.
About United Dairy Industry of Michigan
The United Dairy Industry of Michigan (UDIM) is dedicated to serving Michigan’s hard-working dairy farm families and promoting Michigan’s locally produced dairy products. UDIM is the umbrella organization for the American Dairy Association and Dairy Council of Michigan. These non-profit organizations provide dairy product promotion and nutrition education services on behalf of their funding members. For more information, visit www.milkmeansmore.org.
About SpartanNash
SpartanNash (Nasdaq: SPTN) is a Fortune 400 company whose core businesses include distributing grocery products to independent grocery retailers, national accounts, its corporate-owned retail stores and U.S. military commissaries and exchanges; as well as premier fresh produce distribution and fresh food processing. SpartanNash serves customer locations in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Europe, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Italy, Bahrain, Djibouti and Egypt. SpartanNash currently operates 140 supermarkets, primarily under the banners of Family Fare Supermarkets, D&W Fresh Market, VG’s Grocery, Dan’s Supermarket and Family Fresh Market. Through its MDV military division, SpartanNash is a leading distributor of grocery products to U.S. military commissaries.
About The Food Bank Council of Michigan
Founded in 1984, the Food Bank Council of Michigan was created to implement a unified strategy to address and alleviate hunger statewide. FBCM works with its regional food banks and over 3,000 hunger relief agencies, private companies, farmers, state and federal officials and other allies to make sure no Michigander goes without food. For more information about the Food Bank Council of Michigan, visit fbcmich.org or call 517.485.1202.
