Giant Food Stores and Martin's Food Markets generate $25 million in charitable giving

CARLISLE, Pa. — Ahold's Giant Food Stores and Martin's Food Markets on Wednesday announced that charitable donations made in 2013 from customers, associates and vendor partners totaled $25.1 million. Donations supporting hunger relief, improving the lives of children, and building healthier communities were made through a combination of cash and product, the supermarket operator reported. 

“From each store associate up through to our corporate office and distribution centers, Giant/Martin's is focused on being a better neighbor in the local communities that we serve through community giving and helping customers achieve healthier lifestyles,” stated Larry Stover, SVP store operations. “For the second year in a row we have achieved the $25 million in giving milestone. Thank you to our customers, our associates and our vendor partners who have joined with us over the past year in support of hunger relief, children’s causes and building healthy communities.”

As part of Giant/Martin's commitment to the fight against hunger, in 2013, nearly 100 regional food banks and local pantries across four states received more than $10 million in product, customer, vendor and corporate donations. Food donation programs provided more than $9 million in meat and bakery items, equating to hundreds of thousands of pounds of food to assist struggling families. Significant among these food donation programs was “Meat the Needs,” where the company freezes meat that would otherwise go unsold and donates it to regional food banks. Since the launch of “Meat the Needs”, more than one million pounds of frozen meat has been donated to regional food bank Philabundance alone.

In celebration of the company’s 90th anniversary in 2013, Giant/Martin's donated a total of $81,000 to nine regional food bank partners towards ongoing hunger relief efforts. Customers contributed approximately $1 million during two Bag Hunger in-store campaigns.

Also for its 90th anniversary, Giant/Martin's launched 90 days of giving where stores conducted at least one random act of kindness throughout the summer and into early fall. These acts included everything from hosting an event to distribute free school supplies to children, providing bottled water donations to local firemen and women, raising more than $3,000 to rebuild a local park destroyed by arson to donating supplies to a homeless shelter. 

In 2013, Giant/Martin's committed more than $11 million in contributions to local community groups and various nonprofit organizations throughout its market area. The grocers’ annual “Support Our Troops” in-store campaign, which benefits regional USOs and the Wounded Warrior Project, raised $518,000. Associate and corporate contributions to more than 40 local United Way agencies also totaled more than $1 million in 2013.

And over the past 18 years, Giant/Martin's has donated more than $34 million to support Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals in local communities it serves, including $3.3 million in 2013. “Funds generated through Giant/Martin's annual campaigns provide life-saving care and needed treatments for nine of our member children’s hospitals,” commented John Lauck, Children's Miracle Network Hospitals president and CEO. “The dollars raised are so vital to our hospitals’ operations and the care they provide to local sick and injured kids.”

Through Giant/Martin's A+ School Rewards program, more than 2,500 public and private schools received $3 million to help fund scholarship programs, technology initiatives, sports equipment and other educational needs. Since launching the program in 2005, more than $16 million has been donated to thousands of local schools.