Employee-owned supermarket chain Hy-Vee commits to two projects targeting hunger and nutrition at the recent White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health in Washington, D.C. Hy-Vee Chairman and CEO Randy Edeker shared that Hy-Vee will deliver 30 million meals to vulnerable communities by 2025. What's more, the supermarket will also deploy registered dietitians to educate 100,000 Americans in regions of low food access on healthy eating and nutrition by 2026.
“During these challenging economic times, we know more families are turning to food banks and community resources for assistance, and that's where we can help,” Edeker said in a news release. “By providing 30 million meals by 2025 and providing health and nutrition education to 100,000 Americans by 2026, we can better the lives of those families who are currently food insecure. Our ultimate goal is to help eliminate hunger and connect with those in need, because no one should ever have to worry about where their next meal will come from.”
Learn More: Watch "Effort to End Hunger" Washington coverage on AgWeb.
The 2022 White House Conference is an event where public and private sectors collaborate and strategize about policy and program initiatives driving transformative change in the U.S. to end hunger, improve nutrition and physical activity and close disparities. Hy-Vee's commitments are intended to build on its commitment to fighting hunger. Another goal is to help close the food insecurity gap existing in the communities it serves.
Hy-Vee is unique in that it employs dietitians who assist customers as a complimentary service. Hy-Vee continues to grow its outreach programs like this – both in person and virtually – so that all shoppers can have support in their health journey. Other dietitian-led programs at Hy-Vee include educational classes, nutrition store tours, kids' cooking classes, health screenings, in-store health fairs, freezer meal prep classes, wellness classes, an online health portal and wellness programs that assist customers with weight management and nutrition.