FORT MYERS, Fla - The Harry Chapin Food Bank has received a $25,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation's State Giving Program.  The foundation, which was created to carry out the retailer’s commitment of giving back to the communities in which it operates, has awarded nearly $1 million in grants, a portion of which was allocated to charities combating hunger.

The Harry Chapin Food Bank, whose mission is to overcome hunger throughout Southwest Florida, was awarded the grant to support its successful Retail Store Donation Program in which nutritious food is retrieved from 143 retail donor sites; it is then provided to the 170 local partner nonprofit organizations.   The grant serves as an example of a corporation choosing to support the community and assist those in need.

The Harry Chapin Food Bank solicits, collects and stores quality food for distribution to families in need through a network of more than 170 local nonprofit agencies in Lee, Collier, Hendry, Charlotte and Glades counties, who provide food to more than 30,000 people monthly.  Over 900,000 pounds of food are distributed monthly.  For every dollar donated, about $6 in food value goes back to the community.  In the past fiscal year, The Harry Chapin Food Bank distributed more than 11.5 million pounds of food and other grocery products.