September is "Hunger Action Month," a month-long campaign to raise awareness about hunger in the U.S. and promote ways for people everywhere to get involved to help those in need.
To address hunger in the Mesa community, Fry's Food Stores donated $10,000 to Mesa Urban Garden today to help families gain access to fresh and nutritious food as part of Kroger's Zero Hunger | Zero Waste social impact plan to end hunger in communities and eliminate waste across the company by 2025. The funds will be used to support the beds that are dedicated to growing produce for the United Food Bank.
"Hunger Action Month is an opportunity for Fry's to raise awareness about food insecurity in our communities and help those in need through a variety of outreach efforts," said Monica Garnes, president of Fry's Food Stores. "Fry's is honored to partner with Mesa Urban Garden to create and maintain access to healthy food all year long."
The donation was awarded through the Kroger Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 2018 to address a fundamental absurdity in our food system: 40% of the food produced is thrown away while 1 in 8 Americans struggle with hunger.
Mesa Urban Garden is a community garden that offers 'garden ready' beds for lease to the public. Once a vacant parcel, near downtown, the City of Mesa requested proposals in 2011 from local organizations who might be interested in creating a community garden. The location of the property is in a neighborhood that has limited access to fresh food. Mesa Urban Garden (MUG) - a nonprofit that specializes in sustainable project management - stepped forward.
"Food that is grown and produced locally helps reduce environmental impacts. It also offers equitable and affordable access to healthy food," said Mayor John Giles. "That's why it is a focus area of Mesa's Climate Action Plan, and we appreciate Fry's Food Stores for supporting a strong example of how to grow food in our urban areas."
The City leases the land to MUG for a nominal fee. From the start, MUG set aside a percentage of the beds as community beds that can be sponsored by donors like Fry's Food Stores. Volunteers plant and tend the beds and the harvested fresh produce is donated to United Food Bank located nearby.
For more information, contact Pam Giannonatti, Community Affairs Director, Fry's Food Stores, (623) 907-4980, pam.giannonatti@frysfood.com
About Fry's Food Stores
At Fry's Food Stores, a company of The Kroger Family of Companies (NYSE: KR), we are Fresh for Everyone(TM) and dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit(R), so much so that Kroger/Fry's was recognized in 2023 by Newsweek as one of "America's Most Trustworthy Companies" and named "Phoenix's favorite grocery store" by Axios.Headquartered in Tolleson, Fry's has been serving Arizonans since 1960. We currently employ more than 21,000 associates and operate 127 Fry's Food Stores and 100 fuel centers across the state. As a division of The Kroger Family of Companies, we care about the communities we serve, working to end hunger and eliminate waste across the company through our Zero Hunger | Zero Waste social impact plan. In 2022, we provided over 13 million meals to Arizona's hungry families and diverted 106 million pounds of waste from Arizona's landfills.
About Mesa Urban Garden
The mission of Mesa Urban Garden is to inspire sustainable urban living through education, community involvement, and creative cooperation. Located at 212 E. 1st Avenue in the heart of Mesa's downtown, the garden offers more than 80 garden beds, including a raised bed that is wheelchair-accessible and for gardeners with decreased mobility. Recently celebrating its 10th year, the garden enhances and beatifies the community. It is firmly rooted as a gathering place for gardening events, classes, celebrations, music, art, entertainment, and more. To learn more about the garden or rent a bed, visit facebook.com/MesaUrbanGarden.