An Ohio Wal-Mart has requested customers and staff donate canned food to help feed their employees this Thanksgiving.
"Please donate food items here so associates in need can enjoy Thanksgiving dinner," a sign hanging above two bins near the back of the store read, according to photos released by the union-supported organization OUR Walmart. CNN reported that the group has coordinated most Walmart employee protests since the beginning of 2012.
Spokesperson for the megastore Kory Lundberg told CNN Money it isn't the first time this particular Walmart location has held such a food drive - over the past several years, the store has held numerous donation opportunities for employees suffering "unforeseen hardships." He reported that some of the food donated last year was given to a mother whose child support payments were cut off.
"I spoke to workers at the store today and they said that they're going to continue to look after their folks who have realized a hardship recently," Lundberg told CNN.
Lundberg couldn't say whether any of the other 4,000-plus Walmart stores were participating in such a food drive, but ventured that it was a likely guess.
The drive, which Lundberg said was initiated with good intentions, comes amid claims that Walmart doesn't pay its employees a decent wage, CNN reported.
Walmart workers have protested in droves over the past 12 months, demanded better payment, more working hours, and the ability to speak up without potential repercussions. Additionally, Walmart recently announced that it its stores will open at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, for the first time ever, leaving some critics skeptical of the company's intentions with its workers.
The retail giant reportedly included a few incentives for employees to work that day, including a holiday meal, extra pay and 25 percent off of an entire purchase. Walmart also held town meetings nationwide on Monday, where they gave 350 workers surprise promotions as part of a push to move up 160,000 employees total by the end of January.
