The Redmond QFC and Fred Meyer stores are supporting northwest farmers in the fight against hunger throughout June Dairy Month.

According to a press release, the effort will benefit Food Lifeline at a time when the need is particularly critical for children who have less access to school breakfast and lunch programs and rely on summer meal programs and emergency food boxes to help fill the gaps.

More than half, about 250,000, of the children in Western Washington lose school access to free/reduced breakfast/lunch during the summer months, and less than 10 percent have access to summer meal programs.

Food donations may be made all month long at Fred Meyer and QFC stores in Washington and Oregon, including Redmond, and cash donations can be made at Fred Meyer checkout registers and online at www.NWFarmersFightingHunger.org. For every $10 donated, local food banks can distribute enough food to feed a family of four for three to five days.

Cash donations generated by the campaign will help provide more protein-rich, nutritious dairy foods, like milk, cheese and yogurt, for emergency food boxes.