BJ’s Charitable Foundation Donates $100,000 to Forgotten Harvest to Increase Access to Fresh Food for Metro Detroit

BJ’s donation will help provide healthy meals to local families

Kirk Saville, executive director, BJ's Charitable Foundation (right) presents a $100,000 donation to Kirk Mayes, CEO, Forgotten Harvest (left) in Oak Park, Michigan to help increase access to fresh food for families in Metro Detroit. (Photo: Business Wire).

WESTBOROUGH, Mass. & DETROIT--()--Forty million Americans struggle with hunger on a daily basis. In Michigan, over 1.4 million people are food insecure, including over 350,000 children. To help provide fresh food to families in need across Metro Detroit, BJ’s Wholesale Club (NYSE: BJ) is donating $100,000 to Forgotten Harvest, a Feeding America® member food bank. The BJ’s donation will enable Forgotten Harvest to provide and distribute more than 400,000 meals to those in need.

“BJ’s is deeply committed to making a positive difference in the communities in which we live and work,” said Kirk Saville, executive director, BJ’s Charitable Foundation. “We’re proud to support Forgotten Harvest in its mission to end hunger in Southeastern Michigan, and BJ’s is grateful for the opportunity to serve Metro Detroit families.”

BJ’s is committed to nourishing communities and helping families thrive by providing access to basic essentials including fresh food, education and wellness. Through BJ’s Feeding Communities® program, BJ’s new clubs in Madison Heights and Taylor, Michigan, opening in 2019, will donate unsold produce, meat, poultry, seafood, dairy and bakery products daily to Forgotten Harvest in an effort to reduce food waste and provide wholesome, fresh food to those in need. To date, the BJ’s Feeding Communities program—a company-wide philanthropic initiative to help end hunger—has donated more than 67 million meals to families throughout the club’s communities.

"One in six children go hungry each day in Michigan," said Kirk Mayes, CEO, Forgotten Harvest. "For nearly 30 years, Forgotten Harvest has fought two problems: hunger and waste. That’s why we’re extremely grateful to BJ’s for their commitment to help end hunger and reduce food waste, not only to those in need throughout Metro Detroit, but across all communities BJ’s serve."

Founded in 1990, Forgotten Harvest, a Feeding America member food bank based in Oak Park, Michigan, delivers 138,000 pounds of surplus food daily to over 260 local charities six days per week. These local charities then distribute the fresh, nutritious food free of charge to families in need in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne Counties.

BJ’s two Michigan clubs are expected to open in 2019 and will save families up to 25 percent compared to grocery store prices*. Each club will feature a BJ's Gas® station, offering members even more savings.

BJ’s Wholesale Club brings ClubVenience to members, with easier ways to shop however and wherever they want including BJs.com, digital coupons, same-day grocery delivery and buy online, pick up in club.

Shoppers can learn more about BJ's Wholesale Club by going to www.bjs.com.

*25% savings is based on Member pricing on a basket of 100 national brand household staples, on an unpromoted unit-price basis, when compared to four leading grocery chains in our trade areas. Learn more at www.bjs.com/25percentterms.

About BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc.

Headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts, BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. is a leading operator of membership warehouse clubs on the East Coast of the United States. The company currently operates 216 clubs and 136 BJ's Gas® locations in 16 states.

The Company's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BJ).

About Forgotten Harvest
Oak Park, Michigan-based Forgotten Harvest was formed in 1990 to fight two problems: hunger and waste. Forgotten Harvest “rescued” over 41.5 million pounds of food last year by collecting surplus prepared and perishable food from over 800 locations, including grocery stores, fruit and vegetable markets, restaurants, caterers, dairies, farmers, wholesale food distributors and other Health Department-approved sources. This donated food, which would otherwise go to waste, is delivered free of charge to over 260 emergency food providers in the metro Detroit area. Learn more about Forgotten Harvest and how to help drive hunger from our community at www.forgottenharvest.org.

Contacts

Kristy Houston
khouston@bjs.com | 774-512-5086

Contacts

Kristy Houston
khouston@bjs.com | 774-512-5086