Meijer kicks off annual “Team Gives” program
Meijer announced its third annual Meijer Team Gives fall program, empowering team members to grant $3 million in surprise donations to nearly 500 nonprofits within their communities. This announcement follows the retailer's special Meijer Team Gives spring program earlier this year, which resulted in $1.5 million to nearly 300 nonprofits.
"Meijer Team Gives empowers our team members to choose nonprofits and local charitable organizations that matter most to them, and year after year, it's very humbling to see their passion grow for this special program," said Rick Keyes, president and CEO of Meijer. "This program truly demonstrates our team members' commitment to enriching lives in the communities they serve and we are very pleased to support organizations that help our neighbors in need."
During Meijer Team Gives, each store, distribution facility, supply chain unit and Meijer Team Member Resource Group is given $10,000 to donate to one nonprofit or split between two in the community. Team members at each location work together to identify the local nonprofits meaningful to them and the communities they serve. For this most recent program, nearly 30% of all chosen organizations received a donation from Meijer for the first time, where close to 70% of the selected nonprofits had an existing partnership with Meijer.
[Read more: Meijer opens small-format Rivertown Market in Detroit]
The program continues to grow as the retailer expands its footprint, opening new supercenter, grocery and market formats year after year. Organizations chosen include causes focused on hunger relief, children & families, health & wellbeing, diversity, equity & inclusion, environmental and more.
In Michigan, the Grand Haven store voted to award their donation to Kenzie's Be Cafe, which provides meaningful employment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities so they too have the skills and training to find further, long term employment within the community.
"Kenzie's Be Café is a beloved organization within the Grand Haven community," said Robin Owczarzak, store director at the Grand Haven Meijer. "When our team members learned they were looking to expand their educational programs, it was a no-brainer to choose them for our Meijer Team Gives donation."
[Read more: Meijer donates $300K to support the Midwest's diverse-owned businesses]
In Detroit, the Shelby Township store donated to Leader Dogs for the Blind. From animal training to matching people with a Leader Dog, the organization reintroduces people to a life of independence, confidence and companionship.
"When we presented our donation to Leader Dogs for the Blind, we also got to experience a tour of their facility and saw firsthand the impact this organization does for the blind community," said Bruce VanMaele, store director of the Shelby Township Meijer. "At Meijer, many of our customers are blind, or low vision so this donation meant a lot to our team members."
In Indiana, the Carmel store chose Hamilton County Kids Coats, which provides coats and winter wear for children and families in the community. The team works with the nonprofit annually, inviting kids into the store to pick out a coat for the colder months.
"For many years, we've worked with Hamilton County Kids Coats on various donation opportunities, so with this most recent Meijer Team Gives program, we were proud to continue giving to this incredible organization," said Shaun Kriskovich, store director at the Carmel Meijer.
In Ohio, the Kent store selected ACCESS, which serves women and children experiencing homelessness in the community. ACCESS not only provides temporary housing, but also is a supportive environment that includes education programs, advocacy and empowerment.
"Meijer Team Gives is something our team looks forward to every year because we get to be active participants in choosing where our donation goes," said Marcella Mathis, store director at the Kent Meijer. "It's a fulfilling experience giving to ACCESS and I couldn't be prouder of our team members in their continued passion for this program."
Since the Meijer Team Gives program began in 2021, there have been more than $10 million in donations, spanning across the retailer's six-state footprint.