A state of emergency has been declared in Flint, MI, as a result of unsafe levels of lead in drinking water, and SpartanNash is doing what it can to help its neighbors by providing safe water.

Beginning Jan. 23 and ending Feb. 13, customers at SpartanNash’s 91 Michigan D&W, Family Fare, VG's, ValuLand and Forest Hills Foods stores and fuel centers will have the opportunity to make a cash register donation toward a 24-pack case of Spartan-brand bottled water. SpartanNash associates are also pitching in and donating at the company's Michigan headquarters.

SpartanNash will apply 100 percent of the proceeds toward the water donations and deliver the water to the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, which will distribute the water to Flint residents with the help of its community partners.

"We have been working since last fall to help our neighbors in Flint,” Meredith Gremel, SpartanNash vice president of corporate affairs and communications, said in a press release. "Michiganders take pride in their state and watch out for each other. We have had customers and associates asking us how they can help and send water with our donations. With the scan, we make it easy and even do the heavy lifting — we also deliver as needed to facilitate distribution for our community partners."

Teamsters Local 406 based out of SpartanNash's Grand Rapids, MI, distribution center donated one truckload (20 pallets) of Spartan-brand water to the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan earlier this week, and SpartanNash matched their donation — for a total of 3,360 cases or 80,640 bottles of water. The Teamsters delivered the two truckloads of water to the Food Bank Jan. 20.

In the fall of 2015, SpartanNash's VG's store in Caro, MI, donated 168 cases of water to Flint Community Schools. All VG's stores partnered with Flint Community Schools by holding a water drive in stores. All the water donations were given to Flint Community Schools. A total of 207 cases of water were donated by the community and were delivered on Nov. 12, 2015.