SHARING THE WEALTH

DON YEAGER

Supermarkets no longer limit their largesse to food banks.

Increasingly, they are becoming involved in an assortment of community concerns ranging from health to the environment.

Witness the recent Neighborhood Partnership Awards from Food Marketing Institute, where two of the three winners scored on their environmental activities -- and the third was cited for helping schools.

"We want to educate the public," said Greg Flores, manager of public affairs for H.E. Butt Grocery Co., San Antonio, one of the NPA winners for its Great Earth Initiative launched 14 years ago. "Since we are leaders in our communities, we try to set an example."

Earlier this year, in a pollution awareness effort, the company staged a weeklong emissions testing program on cars belonging to its 12,000 San Antonio employees. Since the city is in danger of losing its clean air status, the program was especially significant, Flores said. The mayor and other city officials became involved.

Auto owners who drove through an "infrared laser machine" acquired by the company were apprised of the car's emissions -- and given advice on how to make improvements.

PCC Natural Markets, Seattle, also is focusing on the environment. Alarmed by the fast disappearance of organic farmland in western Washington, the eight-store co-op launched a program in September 1999 to secure and preserve prime organic growing areas.

In an effort to assure an adequate supply of organic foods, the company's goal is to raise more than $1 million for land purchases over the next three years, said Jeff Voltz, chief executive officer. The land will be leased to growers.

To jumpstart the PCC Farmland Fund, the firm last year donated 5% of all produce sales during the month of October. Because habitat preservation is involved, matching funds are available from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Voltz said.

The Food Marketing Institute created its NPA program six years ago to recognize and highlight outstanding community partnerships initiated by supermarkets. The 2000 award program drew 33 entries -- most of them related to health, hunger and schools.

Three companies -- based on sales categories -- are selected for an NPA and receive $3,000 each to continue or expand their award-winning programs.

Supermarkets use all types of fund-raising activities for their community efforts -- with golf tournaments high on the list of importance. For example, K.V. Mart, Carson, Calif., stages an annual invitational golf tournament and banquet to raise funds for elementary and secondary schools in the company's marketing area, many of them in socio-economically disadvantaged sections of Los Angeles. The four-year-old event so far has raised more than $160,000 for these schools. Last year, six schools each received $10,000, according to John Garcia, K.V. Mart vice president. Money is used for items ranging from computers to field trips.

Presentations usually are made at school assemblies -- and get good community response, said Garcia.

Since 1994, K-VAT-Food Stores, Abingdon, Va., has sponsored two one-day pro-am golf tournaments along with a single-day clinic where tour professionals teach golf basics to youngsters aged 3 to 15. The program has raised more than $800,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubs in the Knoxville, Tenn., area.

While food retailers increasingly are getting involved in a variety of community and charitable causes, many still prefer an alliance with food banks as a primary charity. Kroger Co., Cincinnati, recently was named "Grocer Distributor of the Year" by America's Second Harvest. In 1999, the company's divisions, in conjunction with suppliers, donated more than 16 million pounds of food and products worth nearly $25 million to America's Second Harvest.

Joseph A. Pichler, Kroger chairman and chief executive officer, said, "Our retail divisions and associates place a high priority on feeding the hungry through community outreach programs, fund raising and volunteer efforts."

In its northern California division, Safeway, Pleasanton, Calif., every July and August conducts a food drive that focuses on children. The company chose this period because there are no scheduled food programs such as school lunches during the summer. The program has collected more than four million pounds of food since 1993.

Demand for food for the first six months of this year is running about 10% higher than last year, said Don Schinzel, president, Omaha Food Bank, Omaha, Neb. He attributed the increased demand to more single parents living below the poverty line -- and more people losing their paychecks at the area's three casinos.

Omaha-based Baker's participates in the food bank through the company's "Hunger Bags" program. A store employee makes up the bags with canned goods and other center store items -- and attaches a register receipt with the cost of each item. Customers who want to contribute take the bags -- priced between $5 and $10 -- to checkout and pay for the groceries. The bags are later opened -- and the contents consolidated for the food bank.

A store source at one of the firm's larger units said that about 25 bags move through the checkouts every two weeks.

Buehler's Food Markets, Wooster, Ohio, makes nutrition information more accessible for youngsters by taking age-appropriate information to elementary students in their classrooms. The program, which began in 1985, reached more than 8,000 students in 350 classes during the 1999-2000 school year.

"We have received really positive feedback from parents, teachers and students," said Mary McMillen, director of consumer affairs.

McMillen and her staff of six home economists bring to the classroom the pieces of a three-foot-tall wooden food pyramid that is constructed while they explain the basic concept of the food pyramid. The program also includes a nutritious snack, a lesson outline for teachers and suggestions for followup activities.

"The reward of the program is that teachers and parents are telling us that their children are making better, healthier choices in the lunch line and at home for snacks," McMillen noted. "Children are even helping grownups make better choices."

Also nutrition conscious is Big Y World Class Markets, Springfield, Mass. Big Y has produced the Nutrition Newsletter, a four-page quarterly publication, for students throughout Connecticut since 1997. Different versions of the newsletter are written for elementary, middle and high school students, and include age-appropriate articles about youngsters' health and well-being.

Adopt-A-Church, Kroger's partnership in Memphis between store managers and pastors of primarily African-American churches, has been a "very successful program in the inner city," said a spokeswoman for the firm's Delta Division. The partnership has aided the churches' fund-raising efforts and provided jobs for more than 1,000 church members since it began in 1993. The close relationship between neighborhood store and neighborhood church provides a good employee-recruiting tool, the spokeswoman pointed out. Also, the stores often donate money or products to aid fund raisers and church picnics, she said.

Food Lion, Salisbury, N.C., sets aside one day a month as "Dress Down Day," said Wendy Melton, corporate communications director. It's an occasion when employees, following payment of a $3 fee, get a sticker allowing them to dress casually for the day. The money is turned over to a charity chosen by the public relations department.

Food Lion also sponsors an Angel Tree project -- a program that provides holiday cheer and gifts to clients of the Rowan County Vocational Workshop, an organization that enables adults with limited physical or mental skills to receive sheltered employment. Employees remove tags from a Christmas tree in the corporate office and purchase the present designated on the tag.

Genuardi's Family Markets, Norristown, Pa., donates $100 for each home run by the Philadelphia Phillies and $300 for each field goal chalked up by the Eagles to various children's charities.

Also, under the Genuardi's Community Cashback program, 1% of all sales go to a variety of non-profit organizations in the company's 34-store market area. Genuardi's has given back to the community over $20 million since the program began in 1976, said Alan Tempest, director of marketing services. Of that amount $2.5 million has been distributed in the past 12 months. The Community Cashback program is promoted in regular ads and by direct mail.

Earlier this year, the Genuardi family was honored with the Purple Aster Award given by the Sons of Italy in America for the firm's support of charitable and community causes.

King Kullen Grocery Co., Bethpage, N.Y., last summer sponsored Year 2000 summer camp programs for over 700 disadvantaged children through a $15,000 contribution divided between two Long Island organizations: the Family and Children's Association in Nassau County and the Family Service League in Suffolk County.

In presenting the checks, Brian C. Kullen, co-president of the company, said, "King Kullen is a family-owned and operated business with stores throughout Long Island. We are honored and pleased to provide children with unforgettable experiences spent enjoying new activities and learning new skills."

In order to celebrate its ethnically diverse, working-class community, President Supermarket, a single-unit independent, Passaic, N.J., created two special events, the President Supermarket's Christmas and Mother's Day Fiestas. The fiestas, which are free to the neighborhood, include an array of international entertainment, a buffet and raffle prizes.

For both events, a tent is set up on a Sunday on the store parking lot. About 1,000 hot meals are served -- using food from the store. "They love it," said Benjamin Weitz, director of public relations. "And the events contribute to customer loyalty."

Genuardi's also sponsors a big public event known as Baby and Toddler Expo. For seven years, the company has been the presenting sponsor for the three-day event that promotes good food, good nutrition and family fun and safety. More than 30,000 people attend the expo, which features child-related products and services as well as family entertainment.

Supermarkets have always been quick to respond to disaster relief. During Hurricane Floyd in 1999, Food Lion donated $1 million to flood relief efforts. The company sent multiple truckloads of food, water and cleaning supplies, and coordinating numerous other programs and fund-raising efforts for associates and customers.

Also responding to Floyd, Winn-Dixie Stores' Raleigh, N.C., division organized a multi-tiered emergency relief initiative. The program collected $61,000 for the hurricane relief effort through corporate and customer contributions, as well as sizeable corporate donations of water and bread.

Tom Thumb Food & Pharmacy, Dallas, now part of Safeway, has partnered with a local NBC affiliate to raise funds for disaster relief and promote local charity efforts since 1995. Customers can help by using scan cards to donate to relief efforts. The program has raised more than $335,000 for non-profits in the area.