Safeway employees donated more than 1 million volunteer hours in 2012

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway on Thursday announced that its employees gave more than 1 million hours of volunteer service to their neighborhoods and communities in 2012 - surpassing the company's goal for the second consecutive year and reinforcing a long-standing culture of volunteerism.

"We are proud of and thankful for our employees who chose to make a difference in their community in 2012," stated Larree Renda, Safeway EVP and chair of The Safeway Foundation. "The response and gratitude we have received from charities and other organizations that benefit from our employees' volunteer efforts show we are making a visible and tangible impact in communities we serve.

2012 marks the second year Safeway's 175,000 employees contributed more than 1 million hours of volunteer service. While volunteerism had long been part of Safeway's culture, the company undertook a formal initiative in 2010 to build on efforts already underway and assist employees who wanted to find activities and organizations that best suit their interests and talents.

Through its volunteer initiative, Safeway set out to encourage additional volunteer efforts and recognize employees who give a significant amount of time to various causes. Through a partnership with Volunteer Match, an organization that provides businesses with Web-based solutions to facilitate and track volunteer engagement at local and national levels, Safeway employees can find volunteer opportunities in their communities that meet their specific interests, talents and availability.

Examples of volunteer activities performed by Safeway employees include participating in charity half-marathons/walkathons, coaching little league sports teams, leading park and marine cleanup days, preparing hot meals at food pantries, helping the needy obtain social services and remodeling homes for people with disabilities.