C-Store Industry Helps With Harvey Recovery
By Greg Lindenberg and Kristina Hurtig on Aug. 29, 2017CHICAGO -- The convenience, fuel, food and beverage industries have come to Texas’ aid after Hurricane Harvey brought devastating amounts of rain and 130 mph winds to the Lone Star State.
The Category 4 storm landed northeast of Corpus Christi, Texas, on Aug. 25. It has since been downgraded to a tropical storm, but some areas could see up to 50 inches of rain by the time Harvey’s rains stop, according to The Weather Channel.
Relief efforts are underway. Here are some c-store industry players who are pitching in. ...
7-Eleven
Irving, Texas-based 7-Eleven Inc. is going to match all donations that were made to the American Red Cross during a 24-hour period on Aug. 27. The convenience retailer will match the donations dollar for dollar up to $150,000, reported Myhighplains.com.
Buc-ee's
Before Lake Jackson, Texas-based Buc-ee’s opened its newest location in Katy, Texas, it hosted a First Responders Day on Aug. 25, in which Houston-area police officers, firefighters, EMS personnel and their families were treated to free food and drinks, The Houston Chronicle reported.
The new store is at 27700 Katy Freeway; it features more than 100 gas pumps, which could come in handy in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.
Wawa
Wawa Inc. and The Wawa Foundation Inc. have launched a chainwide, in-store crisis campaign, designed to provide disaster-relief assistance to those communities most affected by Hurricane Harvey. The campaign is being held in partnership with the American Red Cross and allows customers to help contribute to Hurricane Harvey disaster relief by adding $1, $3, or $5 to their Wawa purchase at checkout.
"Wawa has always had a strong commitment to providing crisis response and assisting those in need, and we've been partnering with the American Red Cross in these kinds of efforts for decades," said Chris Gheysens, Wawa's CEO. "We have a long history of supporting the Red Cross that includes providing aid for Hurricanes Andrew, Katrina and Rita, and the Midwestern floods, the Asian tsunamis, September 11, the Haitian relief effort and Hurricane Sandy. We are committed to doing everything we can to assist in this ongoing disaster."
All donations made through The Wawa Foundation's campaign will be to the Red Cross and will be designated specifically for Hurricane Harvey disaster-relief efforts.
The Wawa Foundation will match the first $50,000 of all customer donations during the campaign. The campaign will run from Aug. 30 through Sept. 8 in all of Wawa, Pa.-based Wawa's more than 760 stores throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Florida.
Atlas Oil
Atlas Oil Co.’s Emergency Fueling Response Team deployed more than a dozen fuel trucks from across the country to assist with recovery efforts in Texas and to help ensure that first responders have access to fuel.
As the storm weakens and first responders are able to survey the area, Taylor, Mich.-based Atlas is preparing to deploy as many trucks and drivers as necessary to support the needs of the region. The Atlas Emergency Fueling Response Team deployed more than 75 trucks during Hurricane Sandy.
Chevron
San Ramon, Calif.-based Chevron Corp. is making a $1 million contribution to the American Red Cross to assist victims of Hurricane Harvey.
“As a business with deep ties to Texas and Houston, this donation will assist with the initial critical relief process,” said Jeff Shellebarger, president of Chevron North America Exploration and Production Co. “We will continue to work with responding organizations to support ongoing recovery efforts, which we hope can begin soon.”
A number of Chevron’s businesses have headquarters in Houston, including its exploration and production companies for North America, Africa and Latin America; its technology companies; and pipeline, power and global procurement businesses.
In addition, the company will match donations made to the relief efforts by its employees and retirees, many of whom have seen the tragedy unfold firsthand.
ExxonMobil
Irving, Texas-based Exxon Mobil Corp. made a contribution of $500,000 to the United Way of Greater Houston, following an initial allocation of $500,000 to regional Red Cross organizations along the Gulf Coast that it made on Friday to assist with relief efforts in communities affected by Hurricane Harvey.
"Our thoughts remain with our families, friends and neighbors in Houston and other communities impacted by flooding and other effects of Hurricane Harvey," said Darren Woods, ExxonMobil chairman and CEO. “We will continue to assess needs and to assist government authorities and disaster-relief agencies in providing critical goods and services to those in need.”
ExxonMobil has also made provisions to ensure that emergency responders and other essential service providers requesting fuel are given priority.
Motiva
Motiva, a Houston-based affiliate of Saudi Aramco, has pledged $500,000 to support disaster recovery efforts after Tropical Storm Harvey’s devastating effect over the past several days. In addition, the company will match employee contributions as part of its internal-giving programs.
It will distribute funds to Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner’s Hurricane Harvey Disaster Relief Fund, American Red Cross and other organizations to assist with disaster recovery efforts in both the Houston and Port Arthur, Texas, communities.
“While Tropical Storm Harvey has caused unprecedented destruction to our community, it has also illustrated the Texas spirit,” said Dan Romasko, Motiva’s president and CEO. “We are proud to be headquartered in such a remarkable state and are honored to join with our fellow Texans to support the rebuilding efforts on our journey of recovery.”
Working in coordination with agencies in charge of cleanup activities and with the safety of employees in mind, Motiva will be assessing opportunities and supporting employee volunteer efforts to aid in local recovery efforts after the storm subsides.
Phillips 66
Houston-based Phillips 66 is contributing $1 million to the American Red Cross to assist relief efforts arising from Hurricane Harvey and the resultant flooding in southeast Texas.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by the disaster, including our many employees, friends and neighbors across southeast Texas,” said Greg Garland, chairman and CEO of Phillips 66. “The solidarity of our community is remarkable, and I am confident that this unity and spirit to overcome will drive our efforts to rebuild. It is our sincere hope that this contribution from Phillips 66 will help those efforts and those most in need.”
The donation will support relief efforts throughout southeast Texas, including the greater Houston metropolitan area and Brazoria County. In addition, the company has an employee matching program, which will match employee contributions for disaster relief up to $15,000, and a volunteer grants program which will provide financial donations for volunteer hours provided by Phillips 66 employees.
Shell
Shell is making an initial contribution of $1 million to the American Red Cross for Hurricane Harvey relief. As recovery and relief efforts evolve, Houston-based Shell will consider where else to offer assistance that can have the most immediate effect, the company said.
"Our roots run extremely deep in Houston, and we are committed to doing our part to help the city move on in the aftermath of Harvey," said Bruce Culpepper, president of Shell U.S. "Shell employs nearly 20,000 people in the U.S. and nearly half of them are being directly impacted by Harvey. Despite the hardships associated with this event, countless employees have reached out to understand how they can contribute to the relief effort. Ours is a resilient family, and I'm proud of the effort employees are making to look after their neighbors and fellow citizens."
Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch’s Cartersville, Ga., brewery stopped production to send more than 155,000 cans of drinking water to Arlington, Texas, and Baton Rouge, La., to help those in need after the hurricane, Today reported.
“Since 1988 we have donated an excess of 76 million cans of clean drinking water,” Bill Bradley, vice president of community affairs for St. Louis-based A-B, told Today. “The Cartersville location is our designated brewery for the emergency water program—it’s something we’re very proud of.”
Kellogg Co.
Kellogg Company Fund, the charitable arm of the Kellogg Co., Battle Creek, Mich., is donating $100,000 to support disaster-relief efforts in Texas. The funds will support Feeding America and aid the surrounding Gulf Coast region.
Kellogg also sent more than a million servings of Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal, Kellogg’s Corn Pops cereal, Pop-Tarts, Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain cereal bars, Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treats, Cheez-It, Bear Naked granola and various cookie and cracker varieties to the Houston Food Bank, which is part of the Feeding America network.
PepsiCo
PepsiCo’s PepsiCo Foundation, which works with nonprofit partners to develop innovative and sustainable solutions that address challenges in underserved communities around the world, is giving the American Red Cross a $1 million grant to help provide vital resources to hurricane victims across Texas and other affected communities.
Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo said its business units are also positioned to provide critical supplies such as Aquafina purified drinking water.