Annual program will raise funds for local food pantries.

PS Food Mart Charities has announced the launch of the fifth annual Fight Hunger Give Hope campaign in support of local food banks.

From March 3 through March 16, 31 participating PS Food Mart stores in Michigan and Ohio will join together with a goal to raise more than $50,000 to help local food banks feed families in need across the region.

PS Food Mart Charities was created in 2010 by Michigan-based CITGO Marketer Folk Oil Co. and is dedicated to fighting hunger in the communities it serves. Folk Oil Co. owns and manages 31 PS Food Mart locations in South Central Michigan and Northern Ohio that give back to their respective communities by providing financial support to local food pantries.

“We always want to benefit the communities where PS Food Mart owns and operates its stores,” said Jim Linton, vice president at Folk Oil Co. “We established the Fight Hunger Give Hope campaign five years ago and it is exciting to see how the program has evolved.”

The program encourages customers to visit their local PS Food Mart location to purchase $1 or $5 certificates, which are posted around the store as a sign of customers’ support. Each $1 donation will provide six meals and a $5 donation will serve 30 meals to those in need.

“Hunger is an issue in many communities across the country and thanks to the generous donations we receive each year, we are able to put food on the tables of thousands of families in the area,” continued Linton. “We are thankful for all those who have, and will, take part in the campaign and through the support of our partners and customers, we hope to continue our dedication to the program and its mission for years to come.”

PS Food Mart Charities is supported in its efforts by CITGO Petroleum Corporation, which participates in a wide variety of local charity and community programs.