Walmart contributes to Island Harvest and Long Island Cares
On National Food Bank Day, always observed on the first Friday of September, Walmart joined Island Harvest and Long Island Cares at Island Harvest’s Melville headquarters to prepare fresh food snack packs for local students.
Walmart also presented a $5,000 grant to Island Harvest and a $5,000 grant to Long Island Cares.
The contributions aim to help reach thousands of Long Island children during the start of the school year, ensuring they have access to nourishing food that fuels learning and growth, according to a company statement. Walmart and its suppliers, Dole, RYL Tea, Gogo and Archer Farms, have donated an assortment of more than 72,000 healthier food items to fill the snack packs, including donations from New York-based apple supplier, Yes! Apples.
Hunger on Long Island is rising and children are among those hardest hit. In Suffolk County alone, more than 132,000 residents were food-insecure in 2023, including nearly 25,000 children, according to the statement. Schools in high-need districts report that up to 80% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, underscoring how deeply families rely on school nutrition programs. Local food banks are being “pushed to the brink” as demand grows, with Island Harvest projecting a 9% increase in food distribution this year alone.
Nationwide, according to Feeding America, 13 million children, and more than 44 million Americans overall, face food insecurity each year. For food banks, demand continues to outpace supply.
“Our local food banks are making a difference for families every day, and we want to boost their efforts during this critical time and start of the school year,” said Adam Gratz, Walmart Market Manager for Long Island. “At Walmart, we believe no child should go hungry, and expanding access to affordable food is at the heart of our purpose to help people live better.”
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Walmart’s presence on Long Island, and in that time the company has deeply invested in the community. During the past five years alone, Walmart has donated more than 5 million pounds of food and contributed more than $240,000 to support Long Island food banks and school programs. Associates also volunteer their time packing meals, delivering donations, and helping ensure families have access to healthy food year-round.
In New York State, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation donated more than $24.7 million last year, including 13.7 million pounds of food—the equivalent of 11.4 million meals—to increase access to food, according to the company.
