Hy-Vee kicks off Homefront Veteran’s Day initiative, donates to fallen officers’ families
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Hy-Vee on Friday announced the kick-off of its Hy-Vee Homefront initiative to honor veterans as Veterans Day approaches, which includes several efforts, including customer contributions, complimentary Veterans Day breakfasts at Hy-Vee stores, honor flights and employee recruitment for veterans and military members.
“Hy-Vee Homefront is our way of partnering with our customers to say thank you to those who have served our country,” Hy-Vee assistant VP community relations Brad Waller said. “With the generous support of our customers and our company match this year, we anticipate surpassing $1 million in funds raised over the past three years to assist veterans and their families.
Through Hy-Vee’s “Round Up For the Homefront” campaign, through Nov. 13 customers can participate by rounding their purchases to the next dollar or a desired dollar amount, and Hy-Vee will match customer donations up to $100,000. Customers, for the first time this year, also will be able to donate $1 or $5 per order via Hy-Vee’s online shopping service, Aisles Online. All proceeds benefit hope for the Warriors, a nonprofit that works to improve quality fo life for post- 9/11 service members; Operation First Response, which helps meet immediate personal and financial needs of wounded military members and their families; and the Puppy Jake Foundation, which raises, trains and provides service dogs to veterans.
Beyond the customer donations, Hy-Vee will be offering free breakfast for all veterans and active duty military members on Nov. 11, efforts which it expects will feed 90,000 at its 242 stores. And this year will also see continued efforts to recruit and employ veterans and military members. In the past two years, the company has hired more than 1,100 veterans or active-duty military members for full- or part-time positions.
As part of this initiative, Hy-Vee is offering a $5,000 signing bonus with a two-year commitment, transportation of household goods and an allowance on closing costs of a home purchase through Midwest Heritage, as well as a paid day off on Veteran’s day, career placement assistance for spouses or family members and coordination of military-related community outreach programs.
Earlier in the week, Hy-Vee made a commitment to the families of two fallen officers — Urbandale, Iowa officer Justin Martin and Des Moines Police Sgt. Anthony Beminio, who on Nov. 2 were ambushed and killed in their squad cars. Hy-Vee president, chairman and CEO Randy Edeker pledged $25,000 to each of the families, and the company will be collecting customer donations through Nov. 6 at all Des Moines-area stores.
“Whenever tragedy strikes in one of our communities, we instinctively look to our law enforcement partners to pull us together and help us heal,” Edeker said. “When tragedy — especially such an unimaginable act as this — befalls those who protect us, we want to emulate their response, show compassion and help in any way that we can.”