CINCINNATI, PITTSBURGH and CHICAGO, Sept. 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Meal-packing volunteers received an unexpected helping hand yesterday. In support of Kroger's Zero Hunger | Zero Waste anniversary, Oprah Winfrey surprised over 100 members of the Cincinnati community to help pack meals for school children at the Freestore Foodbank on Tuesday, September 11 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

In addition to packing 2,000 meals on-site to go toward helping children in the greater Cincinnati community, Winfrey's food line O, That's Good! and Kroger together donated one million meals to Feeding America® to help families across the country.

"Kroger is thrilled to have Oprah Winfrey and O, That's Good! be a part of Zero Hunger | Zero Waste —our plan to end hunger in the communities we call home and eliminate waste in the company by 2025—as we celebrate the one-year anniversary of announcing our moonshot," said Rodney McMullen, Kroger's chairman and CEO. "The joining together of two household names is a milestone in our Zero Hunger | Zero Waste journey. Her involvement in our service event was inspiring and energizing. Together, we can change the world and Feed the Human Spirit™ across America."

"It's an honor to support this initiative in the local Cincinnati community and beyond," said Winfrey. "I am committed to the fight against hunger because I've seen the impact it has on people. That's why I wanted to be here today to help pack food for Cincinnati children facing hunger. The work Kroger is doing is special and meaningful."

Winfrey launched her food line O, That's Good! in 2017 in partnership with Kraft Heinz and it currently includes premium frozen pizza and refrigerated soups and side dishes. The O, That's Good! brand was inspired by Winfrey's love for nutritious, great-tasting food. Ten percent of Mealtime Stories' profits—the joint venture between Kraft Heinz and Oprah Winfrey—is equally split between charitable organizations Rise Against Hunger and Feeding America. The Kraft Heinz Company Foundation intends to make annual donations on behalf of Mealtime Stories to these charities until the joint venture becomes profitable.

For more information on O, That's Good! offerings and where to buy, please visit www.Othatsgood.com.

For more information about Kroger's Zero Hunger | Zero Waste initiative, visit TheKrogerCo.com.

About The Kraft Heinz Company

The Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ: KHC) is the third-largest food and beverage company in North America and the fifth-largest food and beverage company in the world, with eight $1 billion+ brands. A globally trusted producer of delicious foods, The Kraft Heinz Company provides high quality, great taste and nutrition for all eating occasions whether at home, in restaurants or on the go. The Company's iconic brands include Kraft, Heinz, ABC, Capri Sun, Classico, Jell-O, Kool-Aid, Lunchables, Maxwell House, Ore-Ida, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Planters, Plasmon, Quero, Smart Ones and Velveeta. The Kraft Heinz Company is dedicated to the sustainable health of our people, our planet and our Company. For more information, visit www.kraftheinzcompany.com.

About The Kroger Co.

At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are dedicated to our Purpose: to Feed the Human Spirit™. We are nearly half a million associates who serve over nine million customers daily through a seamless digital shopping experience and 2,800 retail food stores under a variety of banner names, serving America through food inspiration and uplift, and creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site.

About Feeding America®

Feeding America® is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs, we provide meals to more than 46 million people each year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate. Together we can solve hunger. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

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SOURCE The Kroger Co.