Nationwide Marketing Group Packs 87,000 Meals for Hungry Kids in 60 Minutes
Furniture World News Desk on
3/4/2019
Teamwork leads to over 87,000 meals in just an hour.
Nationwide Marketing Group’s announced that it's network of independent dealers came together with the group’s vast array of vendor partners in Las Vegas last month for the group’s spring PrimeTime convention and trade show. The buying, marketing and business services group for independent appliance, furniture, consumer electronics and bedding dealers gathered for several days of trade show activities, dealer meetings, education, and networking, but a centerpiece of the show was the joint commitment by the network to give back each time they gather.
Dealers, vendors and the NMG team again joined in a meal packing effort with partner No Child Hungry, a leading organization fighting child hunger around the country and around the world. The show’s first formal event, an opening reception and meal packing blitz, saw a fast start to the group’s 2019 efforts. Challenged to pack some 60,000 meals in just 60 minutes, hundreds of attendees joined forces to crush the 1,000 meals-a-minute goal. The event saw over 87,000 meals packed for hungry kids in just one hour.
The meal packing effort, which culminated in a total of over 180,000 over the course of the show, comes on the heels of the group’s effort that totaled over 350,000 meals in 2018. According to NMG President Tom Hickman, “The collective efforts of our members, vendors and our team continue to amaze me, as the power of this network delivers on the commitment we made together to give back.” He continued, “We were honored to serve our network as the delivery team for many of the meals we packed last year. It was humbling as I joined eight other NMG leaders in Haiti to take the meals packed by all the willing hands at PrimeTime to their final destination, and into the hands of kids who really needed them. Coming into this show, our bedding partners at Tempur Sealy International, Serta Simmons Bedding, and Restonic were inspired by the effort, and worked together to offer yet another opportunity to make a difference at this show.”
Nationwide’s Jeff Rose, a leader on the furniture and bedding team, explained further, “Through our partnership with No Child Hungry, we quickly saw that while the need for food is great, the need for mattresses is also paramount. The orphanages in the No Child Hungry network have many needs, and we knew that with our partners at Tempur Sealy, Serta Simmons and Restonic, we could make a difference. We just didn’t realize how big of a difference this one show would make.”
The three bedding manufacturers collaborated to create an easy opportunity for NMG Members to donate beds to orphanages where No Child Hungry identified severe needs. Members were able to purchase a twin-sized bedding set for a uniform low price and were able to donate beds regardless of their status as bedding dealers. Participation among the Membership was very strong, and as the show floor closed and the totals were calculated, over 1,100 mattresses had been donated. The beds will be delivered to the No Child Hungry distribution center in the coming months and will be placed in orphanages across the US and in Haiti later in the year. Nationwide’s Mike Whitaker, who helps coordinate the group’s give back efforts, said, “Our bedding partners at Serta Simmons, Tempur Sealy and Restonic were inspired by the membership’s efforts last year, and several of their leaders, along with a group of members, will be joining us later this year as we head out to deliver the mattresses that the members so generously donated at PrimeTime.”
Hickman summed up the efforts in Las Vegas, saying, “This network is a powerful force, and is filled with some of the most giving dealers in the business. The collective effort to give back just keeps growing, and the difference it’s making is humbling. Of the meals packed at PrimeTime, half were distributed immediately in our host city, and the other half will make their way with No Child Hungry to the areas where the need is greatest. The mattresses are a next step, and to see the generosity of our bedding partners and all the members who donated beds again showed why independent dealers are not only the backbone of the American economy, but the American community as well.”
About Nationwide Marketing Group: Nationwide Marketing Group works on behalf of thousands of independent retailers, rent-to-own dealers, and custom installers to help them grow their businesses and thrive on their own terms. With over 5,500 members operating more than 14,000 store fronts, Nationwide Marketing Group is the largest buying, marketing, and business support organization of it kind with members representing billions in combined annual sales within the major appliance, furniture, bedding, electronics and specialty electronics industries. For nearly 50 years, the organization has remained committed to the independent channel by empowering members with the scale, sophistication, and efficiencies they need to compete. Along with providing unmatched business intelligence, tools, and resources to help them win in an ever-changing business environment. For more information, visit nationwidegroup.org
About No Child Hungry: No Child Hungry is the feeding program of My Neighbor's Children. Through "meal packing events", food drives, and financial support, MNC and our partner International Children's Rescue Ministry are able to provide food for children here in the United States and Abroad. Learn more and join the fight at /www.myneighborschildren.org/no-child-hungry/.