Christmas is just a couple of weeks away, and Strack & Van Til is immersed in the season of giving. On Tuesday, December 12, store managers, executives, administrators, and other team members from the Region grocer came together at the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana to package 2,000 Christmas meals for families around Northwest Indiana.
Strack & Van Til boasts a strong relationship with the Food Bank of NWI. The Christmas meal packing is an annual tradition, and today’s effort was the second time in a little over a month that the grocer has visited, having packed 1,500 Thanksgiving meals in early November.
“We’re very fortunate that Strack & Van Til is our annual premiere partner,” said Amy Briseño, vice president – development and communications at the Food Bank of NWI. “It’s a very robust relationship with a lot of different components. They even support us through Easter as well. They’ve donated all the food and all the labor hours to get these meals prepared for families in our communities.”
The Food Bank of NWI plans to distribute the meals through its mobile markets and partner food pantries across the Region. Each package includes ham, macaroni and cheese, green beans, corn, pineapple, gravy, and pie.
“It’s profund, our local grocer is committed to working with us to fight food insecurities in Lake and Porter counties,” Briseño said. “There’s no way we could replicate the support we get from our relationship. They step up, they donate, and put in hours as well. That’s a combination that multiplies what we can provide and how grateful we are.”
Dropping by the food bank is a tradition for many of the members of the Strack & Van Til crew. Its volunteers worked quickly, packing the 2,000 bags like a well-practiced assembly line.
“It’s great to see everyone volunteering,” said Thomas Steliga, Director of Center Store at Strack & Van Til. “We’re a community store, a community chain. Giving back to the community is simply part of Strack & Van Til’s nature. It is part of our company’s mission. It is very important to us to be able to do this. We started doing this about four years ago. Before that, we partnered with different vendors for smaller events, but for the past four years it has been a Strack & Van Til initiative. I have my executive management team, every director from the office, and store directors all participating in packing bags. It’s a great cause.”
The grocer is also running its annual Checkout Challenge Roundup Campaign where cashiers ask shoppers if they would like to round up their total, with the amount added going to the Food Bank of NWI. The fundraiser runs from October 31 - December 31 and last year raised $212,615 for the Food Bank of NWI.
“We’ve grown significantly in the last five years, moving to a location that’s 4 times the size and adding an additional warehouse,” Briseño said. “With Strack & Van Til, we have the ability to rely on their support and stretch our capacity to make those kinds of steps forward. We have committed partners, and Strack & Van Til leading the pack.”
To learn more about Strack & Van Til, visit strackandvantil.com. For more on the Food Bank of NWI, visit foodbanknwi.org.
