ORLANDO, FLA. — Harps Food Stores kicked off its 2022 Produce for Kids cause marketing campaign with a donation celebrating the success of the 2021 campaign, which provided 80,000 meals to four Feeding America food banks in the Harps market area.

The Harps campaign is part of the larger Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) Springfield Division campaign; including Pyramid Foods, Town & Country Inc, Woods Supermarkets, and G&W Foods Inc.; which has benefitted Feeding America food banks in Arkansas and Missouri with 890,000 meals since 2017.

The 2022 campaign will see the return of the award-winning Produce for Kids Fridays program. In addition to in-store signage featuring healthy, easy meal inspiration for families, the produce teams will be serving as campaign ambassadors wearing Fruits & Veggies & Giving Back T-shirts every Friday while giving out $1 produce bucks coupons to families so they can try new fruits and vegetables.

 “We are moving into our fifth year of the Produce for Kids campaign. I’m impressed with the ways we’ve continued to reinvent the program year over year as our goals and shopper evolves,” said Mike Roberts, vice president of produce operations at Harps. “Giving back is a core value for us and making an impact in the fight against hunger in our communities is paramount.” 

Produce partners supporting the AWG Springfield Produce for Kids cause marketing campaign include Chelan Fresh, Crispy Green, DOLE, Eat Smart, Greenridge Fruit, Halos, Litehouse, Michigan Apple Committee, organicgirl, PEELZ, POM, Shuman Farms RealSweet, Red Sun Farms, River Fresh Farms, RPE, Sage, SamSonS grapes, Sunkist, Tasteful Selections, West Pak Avocado, Wonderful Pistachios and ¡Yo Quiero! Brands.

The 2022 partners will be featured on the backs of t-shirts worn by produce staff on Produce for Kids Fridays starting this summer as well as being highlighted in weekly ad support, social media,  virtual cooking classes, a digital eCookbook as well as in-store signage featuring recipe ideas.

“We are fortunate to have been able to make new and exciting additions to this campaign each year,” said Lesley Daniels, director of account development at Healthy Family Project. “Our data continues to show that shoppers want to make an impact with their shopping actions. Supporting the produce partners in this campaign allows shoppers to do just that while also taking home great produce brands to their families.”