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Grocery Worker’s Relief Fund started by Kendall-Jackson, United Way

National emergency fund called a first for COVID-impacted grocery store associates

Russell Redman

August 31, 2020

3 Min Read
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The Grocery Worker’s Relief Fund will offer financial aid to any individual currently employed by a grocery store, including retailers with grocery departments.Albertsons Cos.

Winery Kendall-Jackson has partnered with United Way Worldwide to launch the Grocery Worker’s Relief Fund to help support frontline grocery store workers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Santa Rosa-Calif.-based Kendall-Jackson said Monday that it has committed $2 million to the Grocery Worker's Relief Fund through 2030, with an initial pledge of $200,000 for the first year. The fund will offer emergency support — mainly in the form of cash cards — to provide “urgently needed” relief, as well as connect workers with local assistance through the 211 network, a national social services helpline.

“Grocery workers are an essential part of Kendall-Jackson’s success. They form the backbone of our business and are a direct extension of the Kendall-Jackson family. They have been frontline heroes during the pandemic, risking their health and safety for all Americans,” Barbara Banke, chairman and proprietor of family-owned Jackson Family Wines, which founded Kendall-Jackson in 1982, said in a statement. “By launching the Grocery Worker’s Relief Fund, we can provide immediate relief to the workers who have supported us for nearly 40 years and need it now, more than ever.”

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Kendall-Jackson has committed $2 million to the fund through 2030, with an initial pledge of $200,000 for the first year. The fund is administered by United Way.

Administered by United Way, the Grocery Worker’s Relief Fund will offer financial aid to any individual currently employed by a grocery store, including retailers with grocery departments. Starting Oct. 1, eligible grocery workers in the United States can apply to receive a cash card of up to $250. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and funds will be awarded as resources allow, according to Kendall-Jackson and United Way. Donations also can be made through the fund’s website.

Related:UFCW’s Marc Perrone, Sen. Kamala Harris urge grocery chains to restart hazard pay

“United Way is honored to partner with Kendall-Jackson to recognize and support our grocery workers everywhere. While many people were at home during quarantine, grocery workers continued to put themselves in harm’s way every day to stock the shelves and make and keep stores safe for their customers,” commented Suzanne McCormick, U.S. president of United Way Worldwide. “Grocery workers are the unsung heroes of the pandemic, and United Way is thrilled to join Kendall-Jackson to give our brave grocery workers an opportunity for relief as they risk their health and continue to go the extra mile during the COVID-19 crisis.”

Kendall-Jackson said it was motivated to start the Grocery Worker’s Relief Fund, in part, by an Aug. 12 Washington Post article headlined, “Grocery Workers Say Morale Is at an All-Time Low.” In the Post’s story, grocery store associates explained how they feel “overworked and overwhelmed” dealing with the challenges of the pandemic, including the threat of infection, extra cleaning and customer service duties, keeping stores stocked during supply disruptions, the loss of hazard pay and dealing with unruly shoppers refusing to wear face masks. Kendall-Jackson said it searched for a national relief fund that directly benefited grocery workers, but one didn’t exist. That led the company, a leading producer in the wine industry, to collaborate with United Way to establish an emergency fund. The U.S. grocery industry employs more than 2.7 million people, Kendall-Jackson reported.

Related:5 steps for dealing with anti-mask customers

“This is one small gesture in a time of monumental need, but we hope it inspires others to join the cause,” Banke added. 

According to the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), the hazards of COVID-19 haven’t abated for grocery store associates and other frontline food workers. The Washington, D.C.-based union said that, among its membership, at least 103 grocery workers have died from the virus and more than 14,300 have been infected or exposed. 

Overall, UFCW represents 1.3 million workers in grocery stores, meatpacking, food processing, retailing, health care and other industries. The union reported that over 250 food workers have died due to coronavirus and more than 36,000 have been infected or exposed among its total membership. That includes at least 115 meatpacking worker deaths (with 17,700-plus infected or exposed) and at least 35 food processing worker deaths (with 4,900-plus infected or exposed). 

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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