By Alison James

alison.james@fct.wpengine.com

The Food Bank of North Alabama has received $58,611 in donations thanks to Walmart’s campaign, “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” That’s good news for Franklin County, with several local agencies serving as partner programs for the food bank.

The campaign offered customers the opportunity to help fight hunger from April 6 to May 3 by making donations to their local food bank at a Walmart register or by purchasing select products from some of the nation’s leading food companies, according to a Walmart press release. In addition, the public participated in the #WeSparkChange social media challenge. Customers were asked to take a picture of six friends who share their commitment to fight hunger and post a public picture on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #WeSparkChange. For each post, Walmart donated $10 to Feeding America on behalf of its affiliate food banks.

“We are so grateful to everyone who participated in Walmart’s ‘Fight Hunger. Spark Change.’ campaign,” said Kathryn Strickland, executive director of the Food Bank of North Alabama. “The results are nothing short of amazing and will enable us to feed the 80,000 children, families, veterans and seniors in North Alabama who rely upon us and our partner programs for their next meal. This generous contribution will go a long way to helping us create access to healthy foods for neighbors in need throughout the entire year.”

Partnering agencies in Franklin County include the Russellville Dream Center, Faith Mission Outreach in Russellville, New Freedom Christian Fellowship in Russellville, Ground Zero Rescue Mission in Phil Campbell, Phil Campbell Church of God, FUMC Russellville and Grace Community Fellowship just over the state line in Mississippi.

The Food Bank of North Alabama cites a two-fold mission: to feed the hungry today and create solutions to end hunger tomorrow. Visit www.fbofna.org for more information.