This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Smith's Food & Drug is inviting shoppers to offer hope in the form of meals to others this holiday season.
Starting now and continuing through Dec. 29, each store will display "Bringing Hope to the Table for the Holidays" towers as a reminder that one in six people in Utah does not have access to enough food.
Customers are invited to add a donation of $5, $10 or $15 to their grocery purchases. All contributions will be converted to Smith's gift cards and given to local food banks for turkeys, hams and staple food items, such as peanut butter and tuna.
"We hope our customers will use Bringing Hope to the Table program as a convenient means to donate to their local food bank," said Marsha Gilford Smith's vice president for public affairs. "We invite our generous customers to create meals where there may otherwise be none for one in six of our neighbors."
Smith's Food & Drug is a leader in support for local food banks throughout its seven states of operation through cash contributions and the stores' daily donations of nutritious yet unsaleable food items. Last year, Smith's 49 Utah stores donated enough food to create 1 million meals for the hungry, the majority of whom were single women with children.
Smith's, a division of the Kroger Co., manages 133 stores throughout Utah (49), Nevada (40), New Mexico (25), Wyoming (7), Montana (4), northern Arizona (4) and southern Idaho (4). Smith's charitable giving, in partnership with 15,600 associates, customers and suppliers, totaled $9.5 million in cash and food products to local organizations in 2011.