KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Building off a successful partnership last Christmas season that saw over $9,000 raised for The Salvation Army at two Harding’s Markets locations, the organization and grocery store are expanding their relationship this year to reach six stores in southwest Michigan, including four stores in the Kalamazoo area.
Six Harding’s stores in Bangor, Kalamazoo, Parchment, Plainwell, and Wayland have their checkout lane conveyer belts equipped with Salvation Army QR-coded red kettles imprinted on patented covers called MessageWrap®. Scanning the QR code with a smartphone and making a simple donation is just one of the four ways Harding’s is offering to donate, which also includes rounding up a purchase to the nearest dollar at the register, donating online at salarmy.us/kzoogrocery, and giving to a red kettle stationed outside stores.
MessageWrap® was invented and created by Handstand Innovations LLC in collaboration with Mol Belting Systems, one of the nation’s leading conveyer belt manufacturers. Both companies are based in Grand Rapids.
All of the funds donated will stay locally within the same zip code as the location of Harding’s and support The Salvation Army in the services it provides at Christmas and year-round, which includes those that address food insecurity. Based on the store locations, three Salvation Army locations will be the beneficiary of funds raised – Benton Harbor, Holland, and Kalamazoo.
In 2020, the checkout lane QR code was offered for the first time at two Harding’s locations in Wayland and Kalamazoo. Between QR codes and round up at the register, a combined $9,225.44 was raised between the two stores and opened a new way of giving as The Salvation Army worked to continue to offer safe and contactless donation options.
Participating Hardings locations:
Bangor – 14 West Monroe St
Kalamazoo – 2626 East Main
Kalamazoo – 5161 West Main
Parchment – 618 North Riverview Dr
Plainwell – 533 Allegan St
Wayland – 300 Reno Dr
