Though hunger and need know no season, they are most amplified during the holidays. People stop to reflect on what they’re grateful for and make it a point to reach out however they can. That’s especially true of the folks at Strack & Van Til, who recently made generous donations to Salvation Army of Northwest Indiana and Food Bank of Northwest Indiana.

President & CEO Jeff Strack and COO David Wilkinson presented Salvation Army of Northwest Indiana with a check for $100,000 in Strack & Van Til gift cards as they kicked off the Red Kettle Season. The gift cards will be provided to families served through four Salvation Army Community Centers in Gary, East Chicago, Munster and Valparaiso so they have access to nutritious and delicious food for their holiday meals.

“Helping those in our community has always been a priority for Strack & Van Til. We support many organizations and events throughout the year and Salvation Army is one of those that we are proud to support,” says Strack. “They really do make a difference in people’s lives when they need it most, and oftentimes it’s when it’s least expected.”

Kevin Feldman, Director of Development for the Salvation Army in Northwest Indiana, says he and Salvation Army are grateful to work with Strack & Van Til. He and the organization appreciate the yearlong fundraising that the company and its customers do for them.

“Frankly, there is no better partner than Strack & Van Til,” Feldman says. “In the summertime, it’s their Check Out Challenge that raises anywhere from $25,000 to $35,000 for us in just two weeks. They are also a major sponsor of our golf outing, and they provide us with a tremendous amount of food donations throughout the year. Strack & Van Til is an amazing example of philanthropy.”

According to Food Bank of Northwest Indiana’s website, “nearly 100,000 individuals are food insecure, meaning they lack access to enough good, nutritious food for themselves and their families. In other words, one in six people in our community doesn’t know where their next meal will come from.”

Strack & Van Til’s team of store managers and employees recently visited Food Bank of Northwest Indiana to pack the groceries that families would receive through Food Bank pantry partners. Strack & Van Til donated 1,500 holiday meals, which included a turkey, stuffing, gravy mix, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, sweet potatoes, yams, cranberry sauce and pie.

“As we continue to work hard in our stores to meet the needs of the community, we realize there are many people in Northwest Indiana who need help, especially during the holidays,” Strack explains. “We are proud to partner again with Food Bank of Northwest Indiana to provide food assistance to so many families. Helping feed our neighbors has always been a priority for Strack & Van Til.”

To supplement its direct food donations, the final Strack & Van Til Checkout Challenge Round Up of the year will benefit Food Bank of Northwest Indiana in Lake County. Now through Jan. 1, customers can round their purchase up to the nearest dollar to help support Food Bank of Northwest Indiana. Rounding up your total at the register helps provide hope, assistance and a nutritious meal to hungry children and families across Northwest Indiana this holiday season.

“Once again Strack & Van Til and Town & Country feel privileged to partner with Food Bank of Northwest Indiana in the annual holiday round-up campaign. Our customers and community have embraced this as a way to donate small amounts of change that end up making a big impact in the community. We are honored to be the conduit between our customers and those that need help the most,” Strack says.

For more information on the Checkout Challenge Round Up, please visit strackandvantil.com.