Albertsons Companies Salutes Veterans Through Weeklong Celebration

Albertsons Companies paid tribute to Veterans with a host of community-based events, financial support to Veterans organizations and additional outreach to honor and show appreciation for America's Veterans.

The company and its 19 individual store banners, along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, dedicated a full week of events to celebrating the men and women who bravely served in the Armed Forces.

"We salute America's Veterans and thank them for the tremendous sacrifice that they and their families made to defend the freedoms we hold dear," said Bob Miller, chairman and CEO, Albertsons Companies. "As a company that employs countless Veterans, we know the importance of their contributions during and after active service. We're committed to helping provide services, housing, training and other core needs to ensure Veterans live with the dignity that they deserve."

Albertsons Companies operates 2,300-plus stores across the U.S. under 19 respected banners, including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen and Carrs.

Through Nov. 13, shoppers were able to make a donation at checkout at any Albertsons, Safeway, Vons and Pavilion store in the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Wyoming. 

Funds will benefit important programs like the Las Positas College Veterans First Program in Livermore, Calif., which, this week, was presented with a check for $30,000 from the company's Northern California Division Safeway stores and The Safeway Foundation. The funds, donated by generous customers though a previous Veterans campaign, will help the college hire student Veterans to serve as mentors to incoming student Veterans who are transitioning from active service to student life.

In its home state of Idaho, Albertsons Companies sponsored the annual Boise Veterans Day Parade, one of Idaho's largest parades, on Nov. 5. This year's theme, A Salute to Women in Uniform, recognized the new era in military history in which women can serve in combat. The parade was followed by another Albertsons Companies-sponsored event—the annual Veterans Breakfast at the Warhawk Air Museum in Nampa on Nov. 6. The event, attended by more than 1,400 people, recognized the local Veterans in our community.  

Brigadoon Dog Services, a Bellingham, Washington organization that trains service dogs for Veterans and people with physical or developmental disabilities, received a $22,000 donation from the Albertsons Companies Foundation this week to provide service dogs to two deserving Veterans.

In the Chicagoland area, six Jewel-Osco stores partnered with Fifth Third Bank and Operation Support Our Troops to sponsor the annual Veterans Day Shop and Drop, a community event in which citizens are encouraged to purchase or provide new necessities, like grooming supplies and hygiene items, for active service members. The items are shipped to our troops around the world.

In many cities, financial support was coupled with volunteer efforts of store teams and division management. In Southern California, Albertsons, Vons and Pavilions employees rolled up their sleeves and worked side-by-side with Veterans to build new homes with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles. The annual Veterans Build, a Veterans Day tradition since 2011, brings together volunteers from multiple organizations to build and repair homes for low-income people, including Veterans and their families. This year's volunteers will build six homes in the City of Bellflower. This is the second year that the Albertsons Companies Foundation and the Vons Foundation have served as title sponsors of the Veterans Build, providing both financial and volunteer support.

Randalls stores in Texas are helping to create a park that will honor past, present and future Veterans. In partnership with Cypress Equities, the team at Randalls donated $10,000 to City of Leander's Veterans Park Project. The 3.3-acre park, currently under construction, will feature a pond surrounded by Military Seal stands and memorial flags, an amphitheater, quarry-block seating, shade trees, and an impressive sculpture of an American bald eagle. The first phase of the park will open Dec. 7.

On the East Coast, Shaw's & Star Market stores are thanking Veterans for their service by helping to keep more of their earnings in their pockets. Through Nov. 17, Veterans as well as active and reserve military service members will receive a 10 percent discount (exclusions apply) when they present a valid Military identification at checkout.