PUBLIX NOW A MILLION-DOLLAR CONTRIBUTOR

Christina Veiders

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Publix Super Markets here is proving that shorter is better when it comes to their Food For All drive.

A partner with the Falls Church, Va.-based Food For All organization since 1997, Publix last year decided to cut its 12-week holiday Food For All checkout fund-raiser in the Miami division down to six weeks.

Maria Brous, director of media and community relations, told SN that besides Food For All, the company runs three other register programs yearly -- Special Olympics, March of Dimes and Children's Miracle Network. "If you run campaigns for 12 weeks at a time, it never gives our customers a break at the register," she said. So Publix tried to arrange the timing of the programs farther apart and make them shorter.

As a result, Food For All was reduced from 12 weeks to six -- but nearly doubled contributions from a best of $560,000 over the 12-week period to more than $1 million over six weeks last year.

"It all goes back to execution in our stores and the support from our management teams," Brous said. Publix made sure it was ready with material in all its stores when the Food For All campaign started and that all employees were informed about it.

The funds raised last year went to 37 local anti-hunger programs, she added.

Ed Crenshaw, Publix president, said, "The Food For All program allows our associates and customers to give back to their local communities at a time when consumers are most generous, during the holiday season. This money continues to work all year long, not just during the time when we're focused on fund raising."