Summer Campaign Benefiting Kids Hunger Kicks off for Kroger, First Federal Bank, and Community Harvest Food Bank

Beginning Thursday, June 14th, people around Fort Wayne can participate in ending childhood hunger. Fewer kids and teens will have to worry where their next meal is coming from, thanks to the second annual Kids BackPack campaign in partnership with Kroger, First Federal Bank, and Community Harvest Food Bank. Donations between June 14th and July 7th will provide food for nearly 450 northeast Indiana children and teens on the program.

There are two easy ways for community members to get involved:

1.       “Round Up” to the nearest dollar during checkout at any local Kroger store

2.       Make a donation at any local First Federal Bank location

“During the school year, meals at school may be the only meals some kids get,” said Carmen Cumberland, Community Harvest Executive President. “Now that school is out for the summer, we need help more than ever to make sure kids who are hungry are getting fed. Kids’ participation is up 80% this year and we are grateful for the partnership of Kroger, First Federal Bank, and the outpouring of generosity from the community. Because of this campaign, more kids can focus on being kids, instead of worrying about how they will eat.”

“Kroger is proud to support the Kids BackPack campaign again,” said Chris Gomez, Kroger District Manager. “A growing community such as ours must make sure that no child goes hungry — that no one of any age worries about finding another meal. That’s why we are working so hard to eliminate hunger in Kroger communities. We appreciate the constant service of Community Harvest and the strong partnership of First Federal Bank. Together, we will make sure this summer’s backpack program keeps food on the table for children in need and serves as another step toward achieving Zero Hunger | Zero Waste.”

“We are excited to partner with Community Harvest once again for this important initiative to feed local children throughout the summer,” said Angie Grant, Commercial Lender for First Federal Bank. “As a community bank, we are proud to reinvest in Fort Wayne and play an active role by accepting donations at all of our Fort Wayne locations.”

Today, more than 30,000 kids in northeast Indiana alone identify as “food insecure.” This translates to nearly 1 in 5 kids who don’t always know where their next meal is coming from. The Kids BackPack program at Community Harvest Food Bank provides food for hundreds of children every weekend, and includes proteins, soups, fruits and vegetables, boxed meals, snacks, cereal, juice, and milk.

About Community Harvest Food Bank

Established in 1983, Community Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Indiana, Inc. feeds 21,100 people every week.  Last year, CHFB distributed 13 million pounds of food to nearly 90,000 unique individuals.   Ben Williams serves as Board Chair, Carmen Cumberland serves as Executive President, and John Wolf serves as the Chief Executive Officer. Community Harvest is one of 200 Feeding America member food banks in the United States, and one of 11 regional members of Feeding Indiana’s Hungry.  Community Harvest feeds hungry people in the nine counties of northeast Indiana. For more information, please visit www.chfb.org.

About Kroger

The Kroger family of companies has been serving communities large and small for 135 years.  Kroger’s Central Division operates food stores, pharmacies and fuel centers primarily in Indiana and Illinois.  In 2017 donations from Kroger Central Division supported causes from hunger relief to breast cancer awareness and veterans’ issues. For more information, please visit https://www.thekrogerco.com/sustainability/zero-hunger-zero-waste/.

About First Federal Bank and First Defiance Financial Corp.

First Defiance Financial Corp. (NASDAQ:FDEF), headquartered in Defiance, Ohio, is the holding company for First Federal Bank of the Midwest and First Insurance Group. First Federal Bank operates 43 full-service branches and numerous ATM locations in northwest and central Ohio, southeast Michigan and northeast Indiana, and a loan production office in Ann Arbor, Michigan. First Insurance Group, including its division Corporate One Benefits, is a full-service insurance agency with nine offices throughout northwest Ohio.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.first-fed.com.