Company : Southeastern Grocers
Program category : Social Impact

Origins:

Southeastern Grocers strives to be fully ingrained in the communities it serves while bettering the lives of its associates, customers and neighbors. A primary tenet of SEG’s mission is to ensure that the voices of individuals of all backgrounds are heard and amplified throughout the company and community. Since 2020, SEG and its charitable arm, the SEG Gives Foundation, have bolstered that commitment to empowering inclusivity with its Romay Davis Belonging, Inclusion and Diversity Grant program. The grant supports organizations that work to address racial disparities in health care, food insecurity and education, while building a more inclusive and equitable future for all. Aimed at elevating underrepresented communities, the grant program champions creating meaningful positive change in local communities by offering qualified nonprofits opportunities to receive financial support. SEG is accepting applications for its 4th annual grant program through Sept. 30, 2023. Nonprofit organizations with missions to elevate underserved communities throughout Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi are encouraged to apply at www.seggives.com/grantapp to be considered for a grant ranging from $5,000 to $25,000.

Contribution:

Throughout its history, SEG has built on its culture of giving with community partnership and charitable endeavors. Amidst the unprecedented challenges of a global pandemic and heightened racial distress in 2020, the grocer remained steadfast in its commitment to empower belonging and inclusion for people of all backgrounds. Inspired to expand its support of the fight for social justice, SEG and the SEG Gives Foundation created a grant program to offer like-minded nonprofits the opportunity to apply for grant funds to help bridge the gap of inequities faced by many. The grant’s inspiration and namesake is the grocer’s trailblazing 103-year-old associate, Romay Davis. In an era marked by restricted rights for women and people of color, she challenged society’s limited beliefs with her accomplishments as a World War II U.S. Army veteran, NYU multi-degree scholar, New York fashion designer and model, Taekwondo Black Belt and community advocate.

Objectives:

Through the Romay Davis Belonging, Inclusion and Diversity Grant, SEG aims to help level the playing field for individuals of all backgrounds by providing vital funds to diverse organizations within the grocer’s five-state footprint. In order to qualify for grant funding, nonprofits must address widespread disparities in education, food insecurity or health care. Working to strengthen communities, the corporate initiative supports local organizations that take meaningful action to help combat social injustice while educating the broader society and eliminating deep-seated barriers. SEG’s grant program remains focused on furthering the grocer’s mission to enrich lives across the Southeast by contributing to nonprofit partners that elevate underserved communities and lift up neighbors in need.

Impact:

Since its inception in 2020, the Romay Davis Belonging, Inclusion and Diversity Grant has provided more than $685,000 in funding to 63 deserving community organizations. The grant program reaffirms SEG’s steadfast commitment to racial equity and social justice by supporting hardworking nonprofits that uplift marginalized groups in local communities. Recent nonprofit recipients include regional food banks, tutoring and afterschool programs, women’s health resources and more exemplary organizations that serve diverse communities across the Southeast. Last year, SEG presented a total of $300,000 to 30 nonprofits through the grant to fuel their impactful work within the five states the grocer serves. 2022 recipients were Baptist Health, Bethune-Cookman University, Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County, Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Louisiana, Brighter Bites, Communities In Schools of Jacksonville, Covenant House New Orleans, Feeding Northeast Florida, Feeding Tampa Bay, Grace Medical Home, Hope Haven, Jack & Jill Center, Jacksonville Humane Society, Jones Valley Teaching Farm, Junior Achievement of North Florida, MaliVai Washington Kids Foundation, Schoolyard Roots, Seniors in Service of Tampa Bay, Inc., Society of St. Andrew, Son of a Saint, Start the Adventure in Reading (STAIR) – New Orleans, Tankproof, Teach For America Jacksonville and Central Florida, The Community Health Center of West Palm Beach, The Sanctuary of Northeast Florida, Inc., Tree Hill Nature Center, Vision Is Priceless Council, Inc., Women's Breast & Heart Initiative and Youth Empowerment Project.

Quote:

Anthony Hucker, President and CEO of Southeastern Grocers said, “We pride ourselves on being a people-first company where everyone is empowered to be their full, authentic selves. By supporting the tireless efforts of deserving nonprofits across the Southeast, we hope to amplify their impact and enable them to touch more lives in the unique communities SEG serves. We owe our gratitude to our 103-year-old Winn-Dixie associate, Ms. Romay, whose unwavering spirit and dedication in the face of adversity continues to serve as inspiration behind the grant’s mission to ensure all people feel heard, valued and supported. Our differences are our greatest strengths, and we know that, in honoring and celebrating those differences, we remain stronger together.”

Support Statement:

Statement from Schoolyard Roots: “Funding from SEG and the SEG Gives Foundation’s Romay Davis Belonging, Inclusion and Diversity grant have helped us bring garden education to 4,450 diverse elementary school students who face economic and nutritional uncertainty in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Our students gain valuable experience by planting and nurturing seeds which are then harvested into fruits and vegetables and later transformed into delicious, nutritious dishes. SEG supports our mission of bringing fresh food and joyful, hands-on learning together to empower students and help them live healthful, academically successful lives!”