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Giant kicks off holiday community giving program

Giant is donating $57,500 to local community organizations, as well as helping facilitate family meals throughout the holiday season.
Levy

Giant kicked off its annual holiday giving program, donating $57,500 to eleven community organizations combatting food insecurity and supporting families in need across its footprint. These efforts launch the retailer's season of holiday giving, which aims to fulfill its purpose of connecting families for a better future.

Throughout the holiday season, Giant will support the following nonprofit organizations:

  • Caring for Friends – The Philadelphia-based organization will use the donation to help fulfill 2,000 snack bags to benefit homebound and homeless individuals and families in need;
  • Church World Services – Church World Sevices in Harrisburg will use the donation to support its efforts to welcome and resettle refugees;
  • Downtown Daily Bread – Serving Harrisburg, Downtown Daily Bread will utilize the donation to fulfill snack bags to distribute to individuals facing homelessness;
  • Garden of Health – Located in North Wales, Pa., Garden of Health will deliver holiday meals to 250 families;
  • JEVS Human Services – The donation will help Philadelphia kids stay warm this winter by purchasing coats for JEVS Human Services’ youth programs;
  • Keystone Opportunity Center – Keystone Opportunity Center, Chester, Pa., manages Fresh For All, a food distribution program, which Giant's donation will support;
  • Lancaster County Project for the Needy – The Lancaster County Project for the Needy will use the donation to provide food boxes to nearly 3,000 families;
  • Phoenixville Area Community Services – The Phoenixville, Pa., the organization will use the donation to help restock its emergency distribution food pantry;
  • Salvation Army Lancaster – The organization will distribute Giant gift cards to area families facing food insecurity;
  • Team Thompson Family Foundation – The Philadelphia-based foundation will use its funds to donate coats and gifts to local families; and
  • Warren County Coalition Program – With its donation, the Warren County Coalition in Front Royal, Va. will help combat hunger through its backpack and food distribution programs.

[Read more: Giant releases community impact report]

“Caring for Friends is giving thanks to The Giant Co. for its donation to help feed our Greater Philadelphia neighbors in need, many of whom are having a challenging year trying to meet their budgets in the face of inflation, supply chain issues and utility prices,” said Vince Schiavone, CEO of Caring for Friends. “In addition to their donation, we are also grateful for their volunteer time to pack these much-needed food staples for our clients.”

In addition, the retailer is helping to facilitate family meals and moments through:

  • Eat A Red Apple Day – Partnering with Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, Giant will celebrate Eat A Red Apple Day on Dec. 1 by hosting a caramel apple decorating contest. Giant vendor partner, Stemilt, will donate 18,000 red apples to the food bank;
  • Meal donations – A total of 3,000 hams and 1,150 chickens will be donated to 18 community food banks and food pantries. This builds on the company’s hunger efforts earlier this month, donating over 13,000 Thanksgiving turkeys and chickens to community partners combatting food insecurity; and
  • Volunteering – Throughout November and December, Giant and Martin's team members will volunteer more than 500 hours to support community organizations.

“The donation of turkeys and hams couldn’t come at a better time, heading into the holiday season,” said Michael McKee, CEO of Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. “We are grateful The Giant Co. has put solving food insecurity so high on their priority list. We’re so appreciative of the donations, and of the volunteer hours that the team members have contributed to the food bank throughout the years.” 

[Read more: Giant teams up with Empower at the Bridge Foundation to nourish Harrisburg families]

In all stores, customers can round up their purchases at checkout to benefit their local food bank or pantry or purchase reusable bags to benefit Feeding America. Thanks to the generosity of its customers rounding up at the register this year, $6.5 million has been donated to support organizations making a difference in their local communities.

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