GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Nov. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Meijer will double match every customer's $10 Simply Give donation made Nov. 9-10 to help boost  support for local food pantries before the holidays. The Double Match Days initiative is being launched as part of the retailer's Taste of the Holidays in-store sampling event as a way to thank customers for their continued commitment to help fight hunger in the Midwest.

"As hunger continues to grow in all of our communities, our customers never cease to amaze us with their generosity," Co-Chairman Hank Meijer said. "Not only does this initiative share food with our customers while they help us feed our hungry neighbors, but it stretches their Simply Give donations even further. This is our way of showing customers how much we appreciate their support."

Each Simply Give campaign aims to replenish the shelves of nearly 200 food pantries in the retailer's five-state region by encouraging customers to purchase $10 Meijer Food Pantry Donation Cards. The donation cards are then converted into Meijer gift cards and given to the food pantry selected by the store. The Simply Give program runs three times a year for about ten weeks.

Simply Give Double Match Days will stretch those donations even further: For every $10 donation card purchase, Meijer will give $20 to the program, resulting in a total $30 donation.

While the Holiday Simply Give campaign runs through Jan. 5, Meijer will provide partnering food pantries with a mid-campaign donation in December so hungry families can have the food they need before the holidays.

Customers can find the donation cards at kiosks near the checkout; they will also be near the Meijer Taste of the Holidays in-store sampling stations Nov. 9-10. The sampling events, which are held at each Meijer store, will feature a variety of Thanksgiving menu items, including turkey, caramel flaky rolls and breakfast pizza.

Traditionally, Meijer seeds each Simply Give campaign with $100,000 in grocery gift cards that are divided among all the participating food pantries. The retailer announced earlier this year a commitment to contribute $1 million to the 2012 program, which equates to 6 million meals, and will bring the program's total contributions to more than $4 million – or an estimated 24 million meals – since its debut in November 2008.

Meijer donates more than 6 percent of its net profits to charity every year.

About Meijer: Meijer is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer that operates 199 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. As a pioneer of the "one-stop shopping" concept, Meijer stores have evolved through the years to include expanded fresh produce and meat departments, as well as pharmacies, comprehensive electronics departments, garden centers and apparel offerings. Additional information on Meijer and the ability to shop for more can be found at www.meijer.com. Follow Meijer on Twitter @twitter.com/Meijer or become a fan at www.facebook.com/meijer.

SOURCE Meijer