For grocers, 'tis the season to be giving

Retailers have announced their generous intentions and programs for the holiday season, with many launching them on Giving Tuesday. Giving Tuesday, a day that began in 2012 and encourages people to celebrate generosity, occurs annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.

Here's a look at some of the upcoming charitable initiatives in grocery retail: 

Photo: Courtesy of The GIANT Company

Giving Tuesday kicked off The GIANT Company’s annual holiday giving efforts, as the Ahold Delhaize banner will be supporting 11 community organizations this holiday season by donating $57,500. The nonprofit organizations that The GIANT Company will support this season are: Caring for Friends; Church World Services; Downtown Daily Bread; Garden of Health; JEVS Human Services; Keystone Opportunity Center; Lancaster County Project for the Needy; Phoenixville Area Community Services; and Salvation Army Lancaster.

“Caring for Friends is giving thanks to The GIANT Company for its donation to help feed our Greater Philadelphia neighbors in need, many of whom are having a challenging year trying to meet their budgets in the face of inflation, supply chain issues, and utility prices,” said Vince Schiavone, CEO, Caring for Friends in a statement. “In addition to their donation, we are also grateful for their volunteer time to pack these much-needed food staples for our clients.”

The GIANT Company will also donate a total of 3,000 hams and 1,150 chickens to 18 community food banks and food pantries, and GIANT and MARTIN’s team members will volunteer their time to support community organizations.

“The donation of turkeys and hams couldn’t come at a better time, heading into the holiday season,” said Michael McKee, CEO, Blue Ridge Area Food Bank in a statement. “We are grateful The GIANT Company has put solving food insecurity so high on their priority list. We’re so appreciative of the donations, and of the volunteer hours that the team members have contributed to the food bank throughout the years.”  

The GIANT Company was founded in 1923. The company operates more than 190 stores, 133 pharmacies, and 107 fuel stations under the brands GIANT, MARTIN'S, GIANT Heirloom Market, GIANT Direct and MARTIN’S Direct.

Photo: Shutterstock

Save A Lot kicked off the 2022 holiday season with its 7th annual Bags for a Brighter Holiday food donation program. Through Dec. 24, customers will be able to purchase pre-assembled bags of food for $6 while checking out at any of Save A Lot’s 656 participating stores nationwide. Each bag will be stocked with private label and brand name food items—including pasta, stuffing mix, canned beans and other pantry staples from Save A Lot—and will support the towns that the Save A Lot stores are located in.

“With inflation continuing at record pace, many families are still struggling to put food on the table. But it’s inspiring to see how communities are rallying together to help address food insecurity—especially this holiday season,” said Tim Schroder, chief sales and marketing officer at Save A Lot, in a statement. “Our Bags for a Brighter Holiday program gives Save A Lot shoppers a direct way to help us do a lot of good.”

Save A Lot also supported No Kid Hungry on Giving Tuesday. No Kid Hungry is a national campaign to end childhood hunger in America.

“Every kid needs three meals a day to grow up healthy, happy and strong, yet millions are still missing those meals,” said Diana Hovey, senior vice president at Share Our Strength, the organization behind the No Kid Hungry campaign in a statement.

Save A Lot extended its bag donation program and included the campaign by providing a matching $6 donation for every bag purchased at their stores on Giving Tuesday.

Save A Lot was founded in 1977, and operates more than 850 stores in 32 states.

Photo: Shutterstock

Cardenas Markets Foundation launched its Round-Up Program on Giving Tuesday. Cardenas Markets customers can now round-up their purchases to the nearest dollar to raise funds for initiatives that the Cardenas Markets Foundation supports through the company’s chainwide, round-up giving campaign that will extend throughout the holiday season and beyond. Initiatives are to include education, children’s well-being, health and wellness and hunger relief, stated the company, and all funds raised will go back into the communities where Cardenas Markets are located.

“We are pleased to provide a simple way for our customers to join us in supporting our local communities,” said Adam Salgado, president of the Cardenas Markets Foundation in a statement. “Through the efforts of the Cardenas Markets Foundation and through the generosity of our customers, Cardenas Markets inspires giving back not just on National Day of Giving, but every day as well.”

Cardenas Markets operates a total of 57 stores under the Cardenas Markets banner and seven stores under the Los Altos Ranch Markets banner.