Grab & Go Food Drives

Origins:

Giving back to local communities is a priority at Smart & Final and is realized in several ways. The Smart & Final Charitable Foundation, a philanthropic arm of the company, has donated millions of dollars to causes and organizations in the communities we serve – focusing on four key areas – health and wellness, education, hunger relief, and team sports and youth development. Within the focus of hunger relief, one of Smart & Final’s priority efforts is our Grab & Go programs, in which customers across California, Arizona and Nevada are invited to donate $5 or $10 while checking out, and for each donation, Smart & Final associates will package up food and deliver it to local food banks and nonprofit organizations. Through our Grab & Go programs, we assist organizations who assist others in need, and we’re able to engage our shoppers and associates with opportunities to give back to their communities.

Contribution:

The Grab & Go programs are one of the largest reaching, most impactful, and most engaging for Smart & Final associates and customers to be a part of. This effort came to life through a variety of programs. Throughout the 2016 holiday season, Smart & Final and its associates ran more than 30 Grab & Go programs, each one taking place in anywhere from 1 to 20 stores and for 1-2 weeks at a time. By partnering with 22 food banks across California, Arizona and Nevada, Smart & Final ensured the food always directly reached those in need. Just to name a few, we donated 4,000 pounds of food to Calif-based Caterina’s Club, 4,000 pounds to Los Angeles Regional Food Bank in KTLA’s Take 5 to Care program, and more than 100,000 pounds to the Foodbank of Southern California as part of Leo Quinones’ (radio host) annual food drive.

Objectives:

• Fight to end hunger 
• Partner with local organizations to ensure support directly reaches the neighborhoods we serve
• Engage Smart & Final associates and customers to participate and volunteer

Impact:

Through Smart & Final Grab & Go programs, across 14 districts, the Charitable Foundation contributed the following during 2016’s efforts:
16,904 Grab & Go bags were donated to 22 food banks and nonprofit organizations throughout three states
38,684 pounds of food was donated through customer donations to Grab & Go programs 
8,000 pounds of food was donated by Smart & Final Additionally, in support of hunger relief, Smart & Final has partnered with Feeding America to assist with food rescue through local food banks, securing and distributing food in the neighborhoods we serve.

Our Retail Donation Program is designed to help those in need by donating certain items from our stores that are no longer suitable for retail sale but still good for human consumption. We currently work with 111 local food banks through Feeding America, providing 739,957 pounds of food.

Quote:

"Smart & Final has a long history of giving back to the communities we serve. Our Grab & Go programs demonstrate our company vision of providing for those who provide for others, as we partner with local organizations and nonprofits who directly reach the communities we serve. At the heart of working together is the combination of our customer’s donations with Smart & Final’s support and our associates' volunteer hours. I couldn’t be prouder of how much we’ve accomplished for people and families in need.” Marisol Marks -VP, Communications, Community Relations and the Smart & Final Charitable Foundation

“The Smart & Final team delivered pantry donations that were generated from $2,100 in food vouchers we received during our Spring Food Drive. While the team was here, they also held a packing party in our Community Room, filling more than 300 bags of food in mere hours! We are tremendously grateful to all who supported our Spring Food Drive, as well as the team at Smart & Final for their help and continued dedication to our Food For Kids program.” -From the newsletter for the Volunteer Center – South Bay – Harbor – Long Beach

Support Statement:

“The Smart & Final team delivered pantry donations that were generated from $2,100 in food vouchers we received during our Spring Food Drive. While the team was here, they also held a packing party in our Community Room, filling more than 300 bags of food in mere hours! We are tremendously grateful to all who supported our Spring Food Drive, as well as the team at Smart & Final for their help and continued dedication to our Food For Kids program.” -From the newsletter for the Volunteer Center – South Bay – Harbor – Long Beach