Company : The GIANT Company
Program category : 2020

Origins:

As part of its purpose of “Connecting Families for a Better Future,” The GIANT Company focuses on eliminating hunger through its community outreach. To fully support that priority, the company embraced September, designated Hunger Action Month™ by the Feeding America® nationwide network of food banks, to center its efforts against food insecurity. Throughout the month, The GIANT Company led a multi-pronged campaign across its four-state footprint to engage customers and team members in making a difference for families in need. Recognizing the significant strain COVID-19 placed on food banks, The GIANT Company offered extensive ways for customers to contribute, such as register donations through the Bag Hunger campaign and reusable bags available for purchase with a portion of sales going to food banks. Shoppers could round up purchases, donate CHOICE Rewards points, or participate in a shopper marketing program where $5 was donated to Feeding America for every order over $20 on select products. The GIANT Company kicked off the campaign by donating a total of $500,000 to 20 local food banks and pantries and partnered with Unilever to donate an additional $75,000 to Philabundance (Philadelphia). The company also launched its 1 for 100 campaign, where for each picture shared of a family connecting over a meal on social media using #ForTodaysTable, 100 meals were donated to neighbors in need through Feeding America. The company’s team members were encouraged to participate through volunteer opportunities, particularly as part of product donations in partnership with the Please Touch Museum (Philadelphia) and Unilever.

Contribution:

As a result of fundraising and giving programs during Hunger Action Month, over $2 million was donated to support local hunger relief efforts in the communities The GIANT Company serves. In addition to the $500,000 designated for 20 local food banks, $100,000 was donated to Feeding America via the 1 for 100 campaign. Together with Unilever, the company gave $150,000 to the Philadelphia-based hunger relief organization Philabundance and Unilever donated an additional $500,000 worth of food and personal care products to food banks in the Philadelphia market. Through customer contributions alone, more than $1.17 million was donated. The company’s team members also participated in a meaningful way in Hunger Action Month by together logging more than 1,000 volunteer hours at food banks throughout September.

Objectives:

The main objective of The GIANT Company’s Hunger Action Month campaign was to extend and deepen its commitment to eliminating hunger and proactively addressing food insecurity by providing financial support to the organizations feeding those in need. Secondarily, the company sought to demonstrate its support of the communities it serves and to live out its new brand platform, For Today’s Table, which promotes the value and importance of families connecting over shared meals.

Impact:

Through cumulative efforts and the collaborative help of its customers and supplier partners, The GIANT Company donated over $2M to to support local hunger relief efforts in the communities it serves. The GIANT Company has been long-time supporters and the largest corporate sponsors of both Philadelphia-based hunger relief organization Philabundance and the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, non-profits making an impact on food insecurity in two of the company’s key markets. The GIANT Company donated to these food banks through direct donations, customer-generated fundraising, partner donations, and matching campaigns. The GIANT Company contributed $225,000 overall to Philabundance, which the Philly-based food bank reports will provide approximately 450,000 healthy meals to the surrounding community. Overall contributions of $260,000 to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, including a $100,000 donation, will provide more than 1.5 million meals to local families in need.

Quote:

“As hunger relief organizations continued to face increased demand due to the pandemic, we were overwhelmed by the response of our customers to help fill the plates of their neighbors in need,” said Nicholas Bertram, President, The GIANT Company. “This year more than ever, Hunger Action Month provided the perfect foundation to drive awareness of food insecurity and raise critical funds to support the organizations working on the front lines to feed those in need. Monies raised benefitted Feeding America and more than 100 regional food banks and local pantries throughout four states and helped ensure that more families are able to gather around the table and connect over a meal.”

Support Statement:

“The GIANT Company has been one of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank’s most valued partners for more than 30 years,” said Joe Arthur, Food Bank executive director. “During Hunger Action Month, GIANT continued their tradition of volunteering at our central packing facility and made a wonderful gift of $100,000 which will help provide more than 600,000 meals as we continue to respond to the financial crisis caused by the pandemic, and we head into the holiday season. GIANT remains committed to fighting hunger in their communities and over the past year, they also donated nearly $150,000 worth of rescued food through various store programs including Meat the Needs. This program has helped get more than 4 million pounds of protein onto the plates of those struggling with hunger since 2009. We are extremely proud of our partnership with GIANT and everything they do to fight hunger in central Pennsylvania.”