HATCH for Hunger announced today that is has donated 293,760 eggs to 17 different food banks across the Midwest to help nourish the food insecure. Additionally, HATCH and Kroger Co. announced that all donations made at the Kroger checkout, online or via text-to-donate from now through the end of 2016 will be matched by Kroger.

“HATCH is innovation and collaboration at its best,” said Carmen Cumberland, executive director of Community Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Indiana. “Eggs are one of our most requested items, and we are always in short supply. HATCH is a new way that brings together the egg farmer, grocery stores and consumers to find ways to fund and supply the quality nutrition we want to provide our families in need.”

HATCH is an organization seeking to help consumers provide high-quality nutrition and protein — through the package of an egg — to undernourished people. HATCH is made possible by partnering with grocery stores, farmers and local food banks. Kroger, Rose Acre Farms and Elanco Animal Health launched HATCH in April 2015 in 65 Kroger stores in Indianapolis, Inc. The program has since spread and is serving more than 17 food banks across all of Indiana and parts of Michigan, Illinois, Missouri and Ohio.

“As of today, HATCH is just shy of donating 1 million eggs to food banks since it began in spring of last year,” said Eric Halvorson, manager of public affairs for Kroger’s Central Division. “Kroger is proud to sponsor HATCH and offer a dollar-for-dollar match from now through the end of the year for any donations made to HATCH. That includes in-store donations, online and text-to-donate.”

Halverson said Kroger shoppers just need to tell the cashier at checkout that they would like to donate to HATCH. Every time the donation bar code is scanned, a family in need receives 1 doz. eggs. The list of participating stores is posted at hatchforhunger.com.

Donations made in November and December will specifically go towards helping families in need receive eggs for the holiday season.

“We are proud to be the egg farmers who supply HATCH eggs to food banks,” said Greg Hinton with Rose Acre Farms. “Eggs are packed with 13 essential vitamins and minerals for the body, including much-needed quality protein that helps with cognitive and physical development for children. We hope to continue to expand the HATCH program with Kroger and Elanco in order to serve more food banks this much-needed product and create more food-secure communities.”

Online donations can be made at www.hatchforhunger.com or by texting HATCH to 52000.