Each year FMI-The Food Industry Association presents its Community Outreach awards in which it recognizes food retailers and the innovation they bring to acts of kindness. This year’s theme was “Grocers Doing Good in their Neighborhoods,” and the Community Outreach Awards recognize the usually unmentioned contributions grocers make to enhance the communities they serve.
“As the necessary partner in every home-cooked family meal, the supermarket is clearly the hub of food and nutritional support for the community, but the role of the local grocery in the neighborhood is so much larger,” said Leslie Sarasin, president and CEO of FMI. “But beyond the tangible support mechanisms of jobs and food, supermarkets also play a substantial role in the social arena, often being identified as the key crossroad that fosters neighborly connections. How many times have you bumped into your friends, neighbors, and town officials in your local store and had meaningful conversations with them?”
She continued, “Grocery stores have long supported local community efforts with contributions to food pantries, community programs and even sports teams. They are the essence of community bulletin boards. As we navigate times of prosperity or uncertainty in our communities, grocers are stepping outside their traditional goodwill programs to elevate social issues and sustainability efforts.Food retailers do all they can to make their communities great places to live by keeping a caring eye on the needs of all their customers.”
This year’s winners of the FMI Community Outreach awards are:
Youth Development Program
Winner: Northgate Gonzalez Market: Familia Gonzalez Reynoso Foundation
Honorable Mention: Skogen’s Festival Foods: Grocers on the Green
Programs Addressing Hunger
Winner: Smart & Final and Smart & Final Foundation: Project Feed First Responders
Honorable Mention: Menomonie Market Food Co-Op: Double Dollars
Neighborhood Health Improvement Programs
Winner: Giant Food: Ward 8 Initiative
Honorable Mention: Hy-Vee gives back through COVID-19 and civil unrest relief
For more on the winners, click through the slideshow.
