Winner: Smart & Final and Smart & Final Foundation: Project Feed First Responders
Under the Smart & Final Charitable Foundation pillar of disaster relief and to help with COVID-19 relief efforts, in total, the Smart & Final Charitable Foundation donated more than $170k to nonprofit organizations, including Feeding America partner food banks, Olive Crest, City of Hope, Caterina’s Club and various community organizations requesting funds through its online donation platform. This included cash donations, food and supplies. It also included supporting 26 food pantries, feeding 300 firefighters for a month, and providing over 20,000 units of personal protective equipment (PPE) items to workers on the front lines.
Through Smart & Final’s efforts of hiring 11 restaurant customers to provide meals at 12 hospitals and fire station locations, we fed 4,000 frontline employees. A total of $65,000 raised through Smart & Final’s in-store change canisters went directly to the Foundation’s COVID-19 relief efforts and the first responders on the front lines.
“We are fortunate to have been able to make a greater impact in our community during a time of need and growing uncertainty. Smart & Final and the Smart & Final Charitable Foundation’s efforts are unparalleled in their level of dedication, compassion and servant leadership to serving first responders,” said Dave Hirz, Smart & Final president & CEO.