Walmart and Sam’s Club Partnership Helps Strengthen Food Access

As Hunger Action Month ™ inspires the collective action required to support millions of people facing hunger across the country, the Inland Empire (IE) community is demonstrating the power of neighbors helping neighbors.

Throughout the 13th annual Walmart and Sam’s Club Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign that took place April 6-May 3, 2026, local shoppers, associates, suppliers, and supporters helped raise $71,657.07 for Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino (FARSB) to support local families experiencing food insecurity.

The funds will help FARSB provide food and resources to neighbors across the IE, working alongside nearly 250 community partners, including pantries, soup kitchens, faith-based organizations, and smaller nonprofits, to feed our community.

Every dollar donated allows FARSB to provide up to four meals for families in need of food assistance. In the IE, where food insecurity remains at 12-13% of the population, that can mean additional produce alongside shelf-stable food boxes to ensure families have the nutritious food they need to thrive.

Together, we help ensure families, children, seniors and veterans can access nutritious food close to home.

Supported by local shoppers, Walmart and Sam’s Club associates, and participating food and beverage suppliers, the campaign donations provide support at a critical time for the estimated 684,000 people in the IE experiencing food insecurity.

“Ending hunger takes more than one solution. It takes people who are willing to look out for one another and take action in their community,” said Vanesa Rangel-Mercado, Interim CEO. ”Every day, we see neighbors who are working hard but still need support putting food on the table. Thanks to our community’s generosity and the ongoing partnership of Walmart and Sam’s Club, we can provide food and hope through trusted local partners like Lighthouse of Hope in Riverside and Sahaba Initiative in San Bernardino.”

This Hunger Action Month, FARSB is encouraging community members to recognize that everyone has a role in helping end hunger. The annual Fight Hunger. Spark Change.  campaign demonstrates what is possible when shoppers, retailers, food manufacturers and hunger-relief organizations work together to support local families.

To date, the campaign has helped secure more than 2.4 billion meals* for the Feeding America® network of local food banks. In the IE, support from Fight Hunger. Spark Change. helps FARSB distribute food through a network of partner agencies.

“What I love about Fight Hunger. Spark Change. is that it starts right in our communities. It’s a customer or member adding a donation at checkout, an associate volunteering, a food bank team loading a truck or a local pantry helping a family put dinner on the table,” said Kayla Burton, Senior Manager of Cause Marketing and Customer Engagement at Walmart. “All of those individual actions add up, and we’re proud to work alongside Feeding America and local food banks to help neighbors get the food they need.”

The annual campaign builds on more than 20 years of partnership between Walmart, Sam’s Club and Feeding America, a transformational hunger relief partnership that has provided more than $300 million and more than 10 billion pounds of food to nourish communities and increase access to the food we all deserve.

Since 2014, the Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign has helped generate more than $245 million for Feeding America and local partner food banks across the country and helped to secure more than 2.4 billion meals* for people facing hunger.

Beyond Fight Hunger. Spark Change., Walmart’s year-round support includes robust food donations and investments that help strengthen hunger relief infrastructure, enabling food banks and their community partners to rescue, transport and distribute more food to people who need it.

The 25 participating Fight Hunger. Spark Change. suppliers for Walmart include: Ben’s Original™, Bush Brothers & Company, Campbells, Chef Boyardee, Conagra Foods, Dole Packaged Foods, LLC, Frito-Lay North America, Inc., Garden Veggie Straws®, General Mills, Hershey Salty Snacks Company, Hidden Valley, Kellanova, Keurig Dr Pepper, Kodiak, Kraft Heinz, Materne, Milo’s, Mondelez International, OLIPOP, RED BARON, The Coca-Cola Company, WK Kellogg Co, Unilever, Utz Quality Foods, and Welch’s® Fruit ‘n Yogurt™ Snacks.

The eight participating Fight Hunger. Spark Change. suppliers for Sam’s Club include: General Mills, Hershey Salty Snacks Company, Kellanova, Kodiak, Kraft Heinz, Materne, Unilever and WK Kellogg Co.

As Hunger Action Month continues, FARSB encourages community members to take action by volunteering, advocating, donating, or supporting local hunger-relief efforts.

To learn more about how you can help support neighbors facing hunger in the IE, visit www.FeedingIE.org/hungeraction