Although football season is over, a local grocery store and its customers took Super Bowl excitement in a different direction and focused on feeding the hungry.

The big game wasn’t hosted locally but residents were able to participate in the Kroger Souper Bowl of Caring, providing pre-packed bags of food to Brown County residents who are at risk of hunger by donating them to the Good Samaritan Ministries food pantry.

From January 14 to February 1, shoppers joined together with Kroger to fight against local hunger by purchasing a pre-packed bag of food or by giving a cash donation at the register.

Despite being one of the smallest stores in the Southwest Division of Kroger Company which includes 200 stores in Texas and Louisiana, the Brownwood Kroger came in 4th in the entire division in the number of bags sold and money donated.

Jennifer Wersal, Public Affairs Specialist for the Kroger Company, said the three stores that placed in the top three spots were all from larger, more metropolitan areas.

“It was super impressive for us that the Brownwood store did such a great job,” Wersal said.

She added that in Brownwood’s district, which includes 21 stores, the Brownwood Kroger came in second behind another much larger store.

This year’s campaign brought in a total of $23,515 in bags sold and cash raised — increasing the total raised by 135 percent over last year.

The managers and staff worked together to make this program such a success. One of the Brownwood managers, Chad Curry (pictured left), made a challenge to his staff to raise $1,500. They raised $2,100 so he had his head shaved in the middle of the parking lot.

Co-manager of the Brownwood store, Jason McGlothlin, said he was thrilled with the response from his sales floor and the local community.

“It’s been an amazing campaign,” McGlothlin said. “It really took on a life of its own.”

Almost every day the warehouse manager at GSM was loading donated bags in the back of the company truck to bring to the food pantry where they are being given to Brown County families living in poverty.

“We are overwhelmed in a great way with the response from the community and the exciting way that Kroger encouraged its customers to participate,” said Angelia Bostick, Executive Director of GSM. “We are always excited to partner with local businesses and residents to raise awareness to the plight of thousands of local families who are at risk of hunger.”

She said that the bags are going out with each of the clients along with their regular grocery staples.

“Good Samaritan is a great organization that people are familiar with, so it was a great partnership,” McGlothlin said. “The cashiers and employees really got behind it and made it a fun, interactive campaign.”

In all, 3,482 hunger bags were sold and donated to the GSM food pantry.

The Good Samaritan Ministries’ food pantry provides grocery staples to just more than 5,000 unduplicated households averaging more than 1,000 families each month. They strive to meet the basic physical and spiritual needs of families and individuals in Brown County. To accomplish this mission, Christian believers work side-by-side using the resources provided by churches, local businesses, service organizations; and by networking with other helping agencies in order to provide the most comprehensive help for clients as possible, all to the glory of God.

Pictured above is a truckload of donations being transported to Good Samaritan Ministries.  Below is Manager Chad Curry after his head was shaved for the challenge being met by employees.