Ralphs Associate to Receive Award for Outstanding Community Service

Nick Huber, a resident of Encino and a Sales Manager at the Ralphs supermarket on Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks, has been selected as the recipient of the 2017 Ralphs/Kroger Community Service Award. Huber, a seven-year Ralphs associate, earned the prestigious award for his work with Hope Mill., an Encino-based community service organization that provides food and services to the homeless in the San Fernando Valley.

Ralphs' parent company, The Kroger Co., established the Community Service Award in 2004 to honor associates for outstanding community service in each of its 20 supermarket divisions throughout the country.

Ralphs will present Huber with the Community Service Award on Thursday, June 22 at 9:00 a.m. at Ralphs Sherman Oaks supermarket at 14049 Ventura Boulevard. A $500 check will also be presented to his charity of choice – Hope Mill, Inc. – as part of the award. Representatives from Hope Mill will be on hand to receive the donation.

"Ralphs is deeply committed to serving our local communities. We believe customer service and community service are integral parts of our company's purpose, which is to feed the human spirit. We deliberately seek ways to honor our associates whose community service and leadership inspire others. We invest considerable volunteer time, talent and financial resources in supporting our communities," says Valerie Jabbar, president of Ralphs Grocery Company. "Nick demonstrates community service in a truly inspiring way. We are very proud of Nick and so are the more than 20,000 associates at Ralphs who selected him for this award."

Hope Mill was founded in 2008 by the Huber family, to address the problems of homelessness in the San Fernando Valley. Hope Mill partners with a large number of charitable and civic organizations, including the mobile outreach teams of the Department of Mental Health, LA County's Cold Weather Shelters, LAUSD's Family Resource Centers, and various homeless connect events, to name just a few. They distribute CarePacks: backpacks containing hygiene items, blankets, clothing and non-perishable foods, to the needy. This year, Hope Mill will distribute more than 6,000 CarePacks to homeless men, women, children and families.

"Homelessness is a very big problem in the San Fernando Valley and I want to be part of the solution to that problem," Huber says. "Helping the less-fortunate is something that I've done for most of my life. It's part of my makeup and I sleep better knowing that I have helped someone in need."

Huber began his career with Ralphs as a Courtesy Clerk in 2010 at the Ralphs store at 16325 Ventura Boulevard in Encino. He has been at the Sherman Oaks Ralphs since 2014. As a Sales Manager, Huber helps to shape Ralphs as a true neighborhood store.