In 2024, Walmart and Sam’s Club stores in Mid-Ohio Food Collective’s 20-county service area donated more than 11 million pounds of groceries to help our neighbors in need. And behind every one of those donations were dedicated store associates working every day to make each pickup possible.
Just like a household can donate food to a local pantry, a retail store can donate food in bulk to a local food bank. MOFC truck drivers pick up retail donations daily across central and eastern Ohio and distribute that food to neighborhood pantries.
Every donation from a Walmart or Sam’s Club store starts as product on the shelf or in a cooler. Donations are often perishable items that are still good but coming close to their sell-by date. By donating unpurchased food, a store can make sure it doesn’t get thrown away while supporting hungry neighbors. It’s common for stores to donate tens of thousands of pounds of food every year.
Those impressive donation totals are no accident. Marking products for donation, pulling them from the shelves, and staging them for pickup take dedication and commitment from a store’s team. Beatrice Cumberland, food and consumables coach at the Walmart Supercenter in Canal Winchester (store #5184), said associates take deep pride in the process, which is supported by a community-focused culture and early training for staff.
“I learned the donation process my first week on the job,” said Beatrice, who started at her store seven years ago and now stresses the importance of donations to newer team members. “It’s part of our everyday work, and we take it seriously because we know every little bit makes a difference.”
The Canal Winchester Supercenter donated more than 79,000 meals worth of food to MOFC’s network of pantries last year, with much of that total going to Victory Center Food Pantry in Fairfield County. That number is a result of the whole team’s commitment to supporting the community, said Deli/Bakery Team Lead Joni Anderson.
“We can see that we’re helping,” Joni said. “The food isn’t going to waste, and we can tell we’re helping people who need it.”
Walmart associates also make sure donated products meet the retailer’s high standards for quality and safety. Beatrice said she encourages staff to imagine they’re picking groceries out for their own families when choosing whether an item should be donated. That pride in quality is shared by teams at other stores, too.
“What we donate has to be just as good,” said Georgia Maxwell, food coach at the Grove City Supercenter (store #5466), which donated more than 112,000 meals worth of food last year to MOFC. “The quality has to be the same for someone who needs a hand from the food bank as it is for a Walmart customer.”
For Beatrice at the Canal Winchester store, donating quality food to families in need helps her feel connected to the community by giving back at work. More than that, it’s a way of living her values as a parent, neighbor, and Walmart team lead.
“I’ve been there. A long time ago, I was a single mom worrying about the next family meal. You have to have your community by your side, and you’ve got to help your community, too,” Beatrice said. “Walmart cares, and we want to do what we can because the community is us. We’re part of it.”
Retail food donations like those described above are in addition to monetary donations made to food banks through Walmart’s annual Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign. Throughout March 2025, donations and roundups at the register in-store and online—plus the purchase of select products from participating suppliers—mean more food and resources for people facing hunger. Want to get involved right away? Give now to support hunger relief in your community!
