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FMI honors grocery retailers with 2020 Community Outreach awards

Northgate Gonzalez, Smart & Final and Giant Food among supermarkets recognized

Michael Browne, Executive Editor

November 10, 2020

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Each year FMI-The Food Industry Association presents its Community Outreach awards in which it recognizes food retailers and the innovation they bring to acts of kindness. This year’s theme was “Grocers Doing Good in their Neighborhoods,” and the Community Outreach Awards recognize the usually unmentioned contributions grocers make to enhance the communities they serve. 

“As the necessary partner in every home-cooked family meal, the supermarket is clearly the hub of food and nutritional support for the community, but the role of the local grocery in the neighborhood is so much larger,” said Leslie Sarasin, president and CEO of FMI. “But beyond the tangible support mechanisms of jobs and food, supermarkets also play a substantial role in the social arena, often being identified as the key crossroad that fosters neighborly connections.  How many times have you bumped into your friends, neighbors, and town officials in your local store and had meaningful conversations with them?”

She continued, “Grocery stores have long supported local community efforts with contributions to food pantries, community programs and even sports teams. They are the essence of community bulletin boards. As we navigate times of prosperity or uncertainty in our communities, grocers are stepping outside their traditional goodwill programs to elevate social issues and sustainability efforts.Food retailers do all they can to make their communities great places to live by keeping a caring eye on the needs of all their customers.”

This year’s winners of the FMI Community Outreach awards are:

Youth Development Program

Winner: Northgate Gonzalez Market: Familia Gonzalez Reynoso Foundation

Honorable Mention:  Skogen’s Festival Foods: Grocers on the Green

Programs Addressing Hunger

Winner: Smart & Final and Smart & Final Foundation: Project Feed First Responders 

Honorable Mention: Menomonie Market Food Co-Op: Double Dollars 

Neighborhood Health Improvement Programs

Winner: Giant Food: Ward 8 Initiative 

Honorable Mention: Hy-Vee gives back through COVID-19 and civil unrest relief 

For more on the winners, click through the slideshow.

About the Author

Michael Browne

Executive Editor, Supermarket News

Michael Browne joined Supermarket News in 2018 after serving in managing and executive editor capacities at leading B2B media brands including Convenience Store NewsLicense Global and Travel Agent. He also previously served as content production manager for print and digital in the Business Intelligence division of Informa, parent company of Supermarket News and Nation’s Restaurant News.

As executive editor, Mike oversees the editorial content of supermarketnews.com as well as the monthly print publication. He also directs all content-based brand-related projects including the annual Top 75 Retailers report, Category Guide, Retailer of the Year, research surveys and special reports, as well as podcast and webinar content. Mike has also presented and moderated at industry events.

In addition to the positions mentioned above, Mike has also worked as a writer and/or editor for special projects at American Legal Media (ALM), managing editor for Tobacco International, special projects editor at American Banker • Bond Buyer, and as production editor for Bank Technology News and other related financial magazines and journals published by Faulkner & Gray.

A graduate of Fordham University, Mike is based in New York City, where he was born and raised.

Contact Mike at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn.

 

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