FMI Announces 2023 Community Uplift Award Recipients

FMI celebrates The GIANT Company, Hy-Vee and Brookshire Grocery Company for their contributions to local communities

Arlington, VA—FMI – The Food Industry Association today announces recipients of the 2023 Community Uplift Awards.  Out of 18 nominations, three community uplift programs were selected by a panel of judges as recipients for their standout efforts in addressing food insecurity and neighborhood health needs and programs that influence social impact. Our 2023 Community Uplift Award recipients include The GIANT Company, Hy-Vee, Inc. and Brookshire Grocery Company. In addition, FMI recognizes three companies as honorable mentions in each category.

“It is second nature for supermarkets and product suppliers to be involved in their communities, supporting neighborhood efforts, and providing leadership, comfort, and stability during local emergencies,” FMI President and CEO Leslie G. Sarasin said. “It is so much just a part of what they regularly do that it’s easy to overlook all the good grocers and food suppliers perform beyond providing our daily bread.”

Social Impact Program Recipient:

The GIANT Company, Healing the Planet by Reducing Food Waste

The GIANT Company awarded $300,000 to projects that address food waste prevention, reduction and recovery across its operating areas. For Stop Food Waste Day on April 26, The GIANT Company partnered with Flashfood to connect consumers to heavily discounted fresh and shelf-stable food with limited shelf life nearing its best-by date, diverting six million pounds of food from landfills.

Social Impact Program Honorable Mention: Giant Food, Divert Food Waste Program

Food Insecurity Program Recipient:

Hy-Vee Takes Food Insecurity Fight to Next Level with 100 Million Meals Challenge

Going beyond its operating area, Hy-Vee addressed food insecurity across America by providing 30 million meals to vulnerable communities, and 27 million meals to Feeding America member food banks. 

Food Insecurity Program Honorable Mention: The GIANT Company, Emergency Food Box Packing Challenge for Veterans

Neighborhood Health Improvement Program Recipient:

Brookshire Grocery Company, Supplies for Schools

Seventeen grocery stores across Tulsa and northeast Oklahoma partner with communities to provide school supplies for underserved students through three options—purchasing $15 pre-packaged bags of supplies, making donations at the register, or purchasing Supplies for Schools bouquets.

Neighborhood Health Improvement Program Honorable Mention: Cub & We Push for Peace Bike Giveaway & Community Event

Sarasin concluded, “FMI proudly offers the Community Uplift Awards as a means of recognizing just a few of the outstanding efforts the food industry has made this past year to provide cohesion, encouragement and spirit within their local community. We commend all grocers and food suppliers for being the community builders they are and we congratulate those being recognized for leading the field in these efforts.”

Background on the Awards

Working with our strategic partner, The Shelby Report, a panel of judges scored each program based on participation, ability to address community need, breadth and depth of the program and creativity. Our panel of judges included Senior Vice President of Marketing at Category Partners, Eric LeBlanc, Vice President, North & Mid Atlantic at The Shelby Report, Maggie Kaeppel, President and Publisher at The Shelby Report, Stephanie Reid and ROFDA President and CEO, Jeff Pederson.

Our three program recipients will each receive $1,000 to help expand their community uplift program, along with a commemorative plaque, and they will be recognized on FMI.org and in The Shelby Report for their outstanding efforts. Honorable mention recipients will also be recognized on FMI.org and in The Shelby Report.

Learn more about our 2023 Community Uplift Award recipients and the nominees at www.FMI.org/CommunityUplift.