Rite Aid Healthy Futures provides $3.7M in neighborhood grants on Giving Tuesday
Continuing its work promoting health and wellness for children, Rite Aid Healthy Futures announced this Giving Tuesday that it has awarded $3.7 million in neighborhood grants to more than 370 local nonprofits across 17 states.
Supported organizations serve diverse and low-income communities, aligning with the overall goal of Rite Aid Healthy Futures to address racial inequities and health disparities.
The grants are part of Rite Aid Healthy Futures’ Empowering Children initiative, which invests in organizations and programs that work to create healthier, more equitable futures for children. Funded organizations provide a sense of belonging and hope for children and include food banks, foster care shelters, educational centers, therapeutic care facilities, homeless shelters and more.
[Read more: Rite Aid Healthy Futures awards $4.6M in grant funding through 2023 Connecting Communities program]
A total of 371 grassroots organizations has each received a $10,000 grant for general operations. The funds will help them continue to deliver critical services as inflation, food insecurity, troubling mental health trends and other converging factors impact children.
According to the Children’s Defense Fund, 11 million children live in poverty and 9 million children are considered food insecure, underscoring the intense need for services and programs that can help reduce those pressures.
The grants are funded through the KidCents customer fundraising program, which allows Rite Aid customers to round up their purchases in-store and online to support children’s health and wellness.
By rounding up their nickels, dimes and quarters, millions of Rite Aid customers contribute to local charities restoring hope, resiliency and self-esteem in children.
[Read more: Rite Aid pharmacists gain prescriptive authority for hormonal contraceptives in 5 states]
Since its inception in 2013, the KidCents roundup program has raised an average of more than $10 million annually—100% of which is reinvested into communities in Rite Aid’s footprint.
“Children today face acute and converging crises across a range of fields that adversely impact their quality of life,” said Matt DeCamara, executive director of Rite Aid Healthy Futures. “Thanks to the generosity of Rite Aid customers, these hyperlocal organizations can continue to provide much needed programs and services steadying the course for children today and guiding them toward promising tomorrows.”
For a full list of recipient organizations, please click here.