Local residents joined in Walmart’s “Fight Hunger. Spark Change,” campaign that generated more than $10 million nationwide to help Feeding America and affiliate food banks.

Walmart has announced that residents in northern Alabama have generated a total of $58,611 for the Food Bank of North Alabama to support those facing hunger in the local community. Through Walmart’s “Fight Hunger. Spark Change,” campaign, families rallied to help fight hunger through three simple actions taken in Walmart stores and online. The “Fight Hunger. Spark Change,” campaign offered customers the opportunity to help fight hunger from April 6 to May 3 by making donations to their local Feeding America food bank at a Walmart register or by purchasing select products from some of the nation’s leading food companies: Campbell’s, ConAgra Foods, General Mills, Kellogg Company, Kraft and Unilever.

In addition, the public participated in the #WeSparkChange social media challenge. Customers were asked to take a picture of six friends who share their commitment to fight hunger and post a public picture on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #WeSparkChange. For each post, Walmart donated $10 to Feeding America on behalf of its affiliate food banks.

Hunger is a nationwide problem with local implications in every community across the United States. One in six people in America will struggle with hunger at some point during the year, according to the USDA. Here in the 11 counties of North Alabama served by the Food Bank of North Alabama, 150,780 people face hunger issues.

“We are so grateful to everyone who participated in Walmart’s ‘Fight Hunger. Spark Change,’ campaign,” said Kathryn Strickland, executive director of the Food Bank of North Alabama. “The results are nothing short of amazing and will enable us to feed the 80,000 children, families, veterans and seniors in North Alabama who rely upon us and our partner programs for their next meal. This generous contribution will go a long way to helping us create access to healthy foods for neighbors in need throughout the entire year.”

“We take pride in giving back to local communities and empowering residents to support their neighbors in need,” said Karrie Dennison, director of Hunger and Nutrition for Walmart and the Walmart Foundation. “This spring, customers across the country jumped into action to fight hunger, and the results were truly extraordinary. With 49 million Americans struggling with hunger today, we are dedicated to helping families access affordable, nutritious and sustainably grown food. With the support of our customers, associates and Feeding America, we will continue our work to help every family have access to the food they need.”

The “Fight Hunger. Spark Change,” campaign is just one step toward Walmart’s larger commitment to provide meals to those in need, helping ensure every family has access to affordable, nutritious and sustainably grown food. Last year, Walmart announced a commitment to create a more sustainable food system, with a focus on improving the affordability of food by lowering the “true cost” of food for both customers and the environment, increasing access to food, making healthier eating easier and improving the safety and transparency of the food chain. This commitment includes a goal of providing 4 billion meals to those in need in the U.S. over the next five years.