Conagra Brands Foundation Announces Shine The Light On Hunger Results Following 7-week Campaign

All proceeds benefitted Food Bank for the Heartland’s COVID relief efforts

(OMAHA, Neb.) Feb. 5, 2021 – Conagra Brands announced today that with the generous support of the greater Omaha community, the 14th annual Shine the Light on Hunger campaign surpassed its goal of raising 1.5 million meals by 442 percent. The final number, 6,625,181 meals, was announced at a virtual press conference this morning.

“This year, more than ever, children, families, and seniors need our help. The overwhelmingly positive response from the community shows how much they care. This year’s campaign was a tremendous success, with more than 6.6 million meals generated for Food Bank for the Heartland which serves more than 600 network partners in Nebraska and western Iowa including pantries, schools, emergency shelters, and meal providers,” said Rick Hansen, Vice President of Human Resources for Conagra Brands. “Shine the Light on Hunger has surpassed all expectations and highlights the tremendous impact our generous community leaders, businesses, and neighbors have when we are united by a common goal. I am astounded by what this community has achieved, as the number of meals raised will provide significant relief to so many children, seniors, and parents who continue to be impacted by this pandemic.”

Shine the Light on Hunger is truly a collective effort, and we are honored that so many organizations in the area participated in raising awareness and hosting food collection barrels. Leading community partners included: Baker’s Supermarkets, The Capitol District, The Durham Museum, Holland Performing Arts Center, Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha Children’s Museum, Omaha Community Playhouse, Omaha Symphony, Opera Omaha, and Hilton Omaha.

“We share our heartfelt appreciation to our Baker’s customers and associates for once again opening their hearts to support Shine the Light on Hunger,” said Sheila Regehr, Corporate Affairs Manager at Baker’s. “This year, food donations collected at Baker’s went even further thanks to a matching contribution of $20,000 from our Kroger’s Zero Hunger Zero Waste Foundation. We are happy to do our part to help our neighbors in the greater Omaha Community.”

New this year, Park Omaha participated by encouraging the public to make monetary donations through special, candy cane striped, “parking meters” strategically located on sidewalks near businesses in the Old Market, Blackstone District, and Midtown Crossing. These “parking meters” accepted donations of coins and promoted a Text to Give option, all to support Food Bank for the Heartland.

“Food Bank for the Heartland is honored to serve this community, and I thank everybody who supported this important campaign,” said Brian Barks, President and CEO of Food Bank for the Heartland. “Many of our neighbors struggle regularly with food insecurity, and during the pandemic, we served thousands who never expected to need emergency food. For 14 years, the Shine the Light on Hunger campaign has generated critical meals while also raising awareness of the children, families, and seniors in need. We are grateful to Conagra Brands Foundation, Baker’s, Mayor Stothert, City of Omaha, Downtown Omaha, Inc. Foundation, Holiday Lights Festival, and Park Omaha for championing this initiative and to our community for its extraordinary support during a year when more people than ever were in need.”

Conagra Brands Foundation matched all campaign funds up to $100,000. Baker’s made a generous matching gift of $20,000 and the Holiday Lights Festival provided a gift of $12,500 to support the important work of the Food Bank.

The Shine the Light on Hunger campaign reinforces the significant commitment by Conagra Brands and Conagra Brands Foundation to improve the quality of life for millions of families by taking action to impact the issue of hunger. Taking a year-round approach with nonprofit partners across the U.S., Conagra Brands contributes funds, donates food, engages its employees as volunteers, and helps raise awareness to mobilize the public to support food and meal programs for people when they need it most.

About Holiday Lights Festival
The idea of decorating Omaha with holiday lights had been discussed by downtown advocates for many years. The occasion of the millennium provided the impetus for the project. In 1999, a coalition of city officials, corporations and foundations chose to present a legacy gift of holiday lights to the City of Omaha as the Millennium Lights celebration. That first year, more than 60,000 people came downtown to witness the lighting ceremony. The Downtown Omaha Inc. Foundation was established the following year to continue Millennium Lights as the Holiday Lights Festival. The Shine the Light on Hunger campaign, sponsored by Conagra Brands Foundation and in partnership with Food Bank for the Heartland, was added to the Holiday Lights Festival in 2007.

About Conagra Brands Foundation
Conagra Brands Foundation believes everyone has a right to healthy and nutritious food, while recognizing that food insecurity exists in every U.S. county. The Foundation partners with exceptional national and local nonprofits with high-impact programs located in the communities where we live and work. By focusing our efforts within five areas: Direct Food Access, Cooking Skills, Nutrition Education, Healthy and Active Lifestyles and Urban Agriculture, we are able to be a leader in the fight against food insecurity in North America. For more information visit https://conagrabrands.com/communitygiving.

About Food Bank for the Heartland (a member of Feeding America):
Food Bank for the Heartland is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Omaha, Nebraska that acts as a central clearinghouse distributing food to more than 600 network partners across 77 counties in Nebraska and 16 counties in western Iowa. Food Bank for the Heartland has distributed more than 32 million meals in 2020 helping thousands of children, families, seniors, veterans, and others in need. For more information, visit www.FoodBankHeartland.org.

About Dillon Stores Division and Baker’s Supermarkets
Dillon Stores, headquartered in Hutchinson, KS, is a division of The Kroger Company, one of the nation’s largest retail grocery chains. Dillon Stores operates 80 stores in Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska (under the Dillons, Baker’s, and Gerbes banners) and employs more than 12,000 individuals. Dillon Stores Division focuses its charitable efforts on supporting hunger relief, health and wellness initiatives, local schools, and grassroots organizations in the communities it serves. For more information on Baker’s please visit our website at www.bakersplus.com.

Media Contact:
Kylie Vonnahme, Vic Gutman & Associates: (402) 841-2560, kvonnahme@vgagroup.com