Publix kicks off community service initiatives

Publix announced that its associates will be working towards its community service efforts.

The Lakeland, Fla.-based retailer shared that more than 6,200 of its associates across its seven-state operating area are volunteering at more than 220 state parks and nonprofit organizations that are focused on environmental sustainability.

[Read More: Publix, Instacart partner on digital storefront]

These efforts are part of the company’s Publix Serves initiative, which launched in 2015, and invites associates to participate in its community programs by uniting more than 230,000 employees in community service efforts, the retailer said.

“Our spring Publix Serves initiative focuses on extending our commitment to preserve and protect the environment by volunteering with nonprofit organizations,” Publix CEO Todd Jones said. “Through the support of our associates, we continue to build on Publix’s decades-long commitment to care for our natural resources, while doing good together.”

For a week, Publix associates will work with such organizations as Keep America Beautiful affiliates, Brevard Zoo, Jacksonville Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, as well as state parks to help in the clean-up of waterways and trails, removal of invasive plants, complete repairs and other related projects.

[Read More: Publix to open 2nd Kentucky location]

“We are thrilled to work alongside Publix associates during the Publix Serves environmental week,” Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Shawn Hamilton, whose agency oversees Florida’s state parks, said. “This effort, combined with our nearly 4,500 volunteers, is vital to our mission of preserving and restoring natural and cultural resources.”

Publix Serves Week is part of the retailer’s initiatives to help reduce waste and protect natural resources. Most recently, the company worked on long-term collaborations to support freshwater restoration in Florida by working with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant 731,000 trees in four damaged watersheds in the state since 2016.