DOWAGIAC — Over the past several months, Dowagiac Family Fare shoppers have been keeping their receipts to raise money for a local organization.

Last week, the Dowagiac Family Fare location donated $1,000 to ACTION Ministries through the SpartanNash Direct Your Dollars program. Spartan Nash is Family Fare’s parent company. Through the Direct Your Dollars program, eligible nonprofit organizations can earn $1,000 by collecting $150,000 in eligible receipts from any of the more than 155 SpartanNash-owned retail stores or fuel centers in eight different states.

Last week’s check presentation inside the Dowagiac Family Fare location was the second time ACTION Ministries had received a check from the Direct Your Dollars program, according to Donovan Strock, store director of the Dowagiac Family Fare location.

“This is what we do to give back,” Strock said. “I think this is a great program, and I wish more organizations would do it.”

According to representatives with ACTION Ministries, it took less than a year for the organization to collect the $150,000 worth of receipts from community members who turned them into the nonprofit.

Jeff Neumann, president of the organization, said he appreciated the Direct Your Dollars program not only because it gives his organization the chance to receive funding, but because it brings the community together.

“It brings a lot of people together to work for a cause, and in turn, we promote Family Fare because we all want this program to be successful,” he said. “They win, and we win.”

The $1,000 will go toward ACTION Ministries’ food pantry, and Neumann said that money would be able to stock the pantry for a month. Each week, the pantry feeds more than 50 families.

“It’s awesome knowing this money can help so many people,” Strock said. “This program is money people spent in the community going toward organizations that give back to the community. It’s a no brainer for us [at Family Fare] to support this any way we can.”

Already, ACTION Ministries is collecting receipts for its next Direct Your Dollars donation. Those interested in supporting the organization can bring their Family Fare and other SpartanNash store receipts to ACTION Ministries, 301 Main St., Dowagiac, on Saturdays.

Neumann said he wanted to thank the community, SpartanNash and the Dowagiac Family Fare for supporting ACTION Ministries through the Direct Your Dollars program.

“It really does just get a lot of people involved,” he said. “Anything that takes the energy beyond our walls and puts it back in the community is good for us, the store and everybody.”