Community Service Roundup, June 2020
By Hannah Hammond on Jun. 24, 2020CHICAGO — Convenience stores are giving back to their communities—whether it’s through helping local children or donating personal protective equipment to health care workers amid the coronavirus crisis.
Here is this month’s roundup of c-stores that are giving back. Click through to read more …
High’s
High’s, a unit of Baltimore-based Carroll Independent Fuel, donated 1,000 care packages and 60 dozen doughnuts to local hospitals, including Johns Hopkins Children Center, Anne Arundel County Medical Center, Meritus Health, Union Hospital of Cecil County and more.
The care packages included packaged beverage and snack items from several manufacturers and were put together by a High’s employee, who also added a thank you note and coupon for a free quart of High’s ice cream.
7-Eleven
7-Eleven, Irving, Texas, will donate 1 million meals to Feeding America. The donation will come in place of the c-store chain’s annual 7-Eleven Day celebration, which happens on July 11.
Every $1 spent at 7-Eleven provides 10 meals secured by Feeding America on behalf of member food banks. 7-Eleven’s commitment includes $100,000.
Sheetz
Sheetz, Altoona, Pa., donated $620,000 to Feeding America, a hunger-relief organization, to support child hunger programs.
Previously, the chain served nearly 600,000 free meals to children and families in need amid the COVID-19 pandemic through its Kidz Meal Bags program.
Gate
The Gate Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Jacksonville, Fla.-based Gate Petroleum Co., raised $50,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Gate’s c-stores across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina contributed through the company’s annual paper icon campaign. From April 1 to April 30, customers could donate $1 and sign their name on a Big Brothers Big Sisters paper icon that was displayed in the Gate store.
Parker's
Parker’s Kitchen, Savannah, Ga., donated 700 KN95 face masks to frontline health care providers at Roper St. Francis Healthcare in Charleston during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Parker’s Kitchen, and its parent company Parker’s, has donated more than 7,000 face masks to hospitals and health care providers across South Carolina and Georgia since the coronavirus crisis began.
Speedway
Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals named Speedway, Enon, Ohio, its Corporate Partner of the Year for 2019. The award recognizes Speedway’s commitment to the network’s hospitals or foundations through innovative fundraising and awareness initiatives.
“Speedway really is fueling miracles,” said Teri Nestel, interim president and CEO of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. “The company saw a remarkable 25% fundraising increase in 2019 to $11.8 million thanks to some innovative campaigns like the coloring book, growth in their annual golf tournament and the launch of the pin pad donation ask.”
Speedway’s recent expansion to the West Coast allowed the chain to support 17 new Children’s Miracle Network hospitals. Speedway’s partnership with the hospital system started in 1991 and has since raised more than $121 million for the charity.
Mendez Fuel
Mendez Fuel, Miami, donated 6,500 homemade meals to its community for COVID-19 relief. The regional c-store’s initiative against food insecurity during the pandemic began in early April and ran through late May.
Weigel’s
Weigel’s Stores Inc., Powell, Tenn., donated 60,000 gallons of milk to Second Harvest Food Bank of East and North East Tennessee amid the global pandemic.
“We feel compelled to help our neighbors during this global yet local crisis,” said Bill Weigel, chairman for Weigel’s. “We’re in the food business. Many of our neighbors have lost their jobs and are struggling to put food on their tables, so it seemed natural we could contribute in this way.”
Rutter’s
Rutter’s, York, Pa., has donated $1,000 in gift cards to the Centre County YMCA since March. Four ‘N Twenty, an Australian food company and partner of Rutter’s, also donated 180 cases of its Beef and Cheese Travellers to help the YMCA stock its Travelin’ Table mobile feeding unit to feed local children.
Circle K
Circle K, a subsidiary of Laval, Quebec-based Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., is donating a portion of its revenues from fuel transactions to Food Banks Canada. Circle K hopes to donate the equivalent of 5 million meals.
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Circle K also gave free coffee and tea to health care workers and provided a forum for the public to say thank you to essential workers like truck drivers, delivery drivers, volunteers, c-store employees and more.
Stewart’s Shops
Stewart’s Shops, Ballston Spa, N.Y., donated a total of $790,000 of financial assistance to 209 organizations amid the coronavirus crisis. It also donated thousands of gift certificates for milk and eggs to food pantries to help cope with the spike in demand for food amid COVID-19, according to the c-store chain.
Schools also received ice cream certificates from Stewart’s Shops to give to students to be rewarded for their work. Donations were also used to help provide personal protective equipment to organizations, like United Way.
Citgo
The Simon Bolivar Foundation, the non-profit foundation of Citgo Petroleum Corp., Houston, is launching a food drive program to provide grants of up to $50,000 to nonprofits to develop food assistance projects.
The objective of the program, Hoy Invita Simon, is to offer nutritional food access to communities in need without discrimination, while aiming to reach members of the Venezuelan diaspora and other vulnerable populations, according to the company. A pilot run for the program was conducted in May in Doral, Fla., and Houston.
"The Foundation partnered with local nonprofits and Venezuelan restaurants to provide hot meals to families impacted by the pandemic," said Mariela Poleo, president of the Simon Bolivar Foundation.
Charitable organizations can submit proposals on the foundation’s website through July 3.
OPW
Fluid-handling solutions company OPW, Hamilton, Ohio, donated between $500 and $1,000 to key foodbanks in communities where OPW employees live and work.
“Many communities and industries have been impacted by COVID 19,” said OPW President Kevin Long. “We recognize the challenging times and are committed to supporting our employees and the communities in which we operate. OPW would like to thank the local foodbanks that are providing critical services for our neighbors in need.”
PeaTos
PeaTos, Los Angeles, will donate a face mask for every online purchase of its snacks in the month of June. The masks will be donated to the Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles as the essential workers there help fight the coronavirus pandemic.
It will also work with Dash Radio as part of its “Mask It Forward” initiative to help enhance the use of masks.
Lenny & Larry’s
Lenny & Larry’s partnered with UPS to create a “Donate to Drivers” program to say thanks to the drivers who are working tirelessly during the coronavirus crisis, according to the Panorama City, Calif.-based company.
Through the month of June, the snack company donated a cookie for every $2 spent on LennyLarry.com to UPS drivers to offer them a treat. Lenny and Larry’s expected to deliver about 50,000 cookies to drivers though the initiative.
Tyson Foods
Tyson Foods, Springdale, Ark., and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America launched a video that showcases the organizations’ commitment to support youth in rural communities. The video highlights the importance of one-on-one mentoring relationships that benefit young people and their families, according to Tyson.
Tyson has also provided Big Brothers Big Sisters of America funding over the past two years that has enabled agencies to attend conferences and participate in intensive training courses.
Altria
Altria Group Inc., Richmond, Va., committed an initial $5 million to address systemic racism faced by Black Americans and to advance social and economic equity. The money will be used to support national and local organizations working across the U.S. and in the tobacco company’s operating communities.
It will also provide support to small businesses affected by recent vandalism because of protests prompted by the killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, by a police officer on May 25 in Minneapolis.
In addition to these efforts, Altria is launching a month-long employee giving campaign and gave a company-wide paid “Day of Healing” on Juneteenth (June 19) to allow employees time for personal reflection, according to the company. It is also voicing support for removing Confederate monuments in its hometown of Richmond, Va., once the capital of the Confederacy.
If you would like to share news about your c-store or company’s charitable efforts, email Hannah Prokop at hprokop@winsightmedia.com.