The GIANT Company announced its Feeding School Kids initiative, in partnership with its customers, raised more than $1.2 million to address food insecurity throughout local public school districts in the communities it serves awarding just over $ 105K to schools in Bucks, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties.
“Studies have shown a direct correlation between good nutrition and a student’s ability to learn, which is why our Feeding School Kids initiative is so important in helping local public school districts eliminate hunger,” said Jennifer Scott, vice president, chief human resources and community relations officer, The GIANT Company. “Together with our customers and team members, we have raised more than $8.5 million over the past five years to ensure students can focus on learning and not worrying about where their next meal may come from.”
From Jan. 1 through March 31, customers at GIANT, MARTIN’S and GIANT Heirloom Market stores were invited to round up their grocery purchases to the nearest dollar or convert their CHOICE points into a donation to support their local public school districts’ food programs. The GIANT Company also donated $100,000 to the program. Through Feeding School Kids, public school districts have been able to support meal programs and address food insecurity from supplying backpacks with weekend food to clearing outstanding student lunch debt to building on-campus food pantries and establishing garden programs.
Credit: Sunshine Foundation
“The funds awarded to us through Feeding School Kids are instrumental for our food pack program. We work to feed and support the basic needs of more than 1,500 students a week,” said Elise Stine-Dolinar, program coordinator and director of Bright Futures – Frederick/Winchester. “Many students rely on weekend food bags to get them through times when they don’t have school meals. We see students coming to school on Monday who have not eaten a meal since they left on Friday. We see children who are in survival mode every day. The support from The GIANT Company helps us ensure that our community’s students have their most basic needs met, so they in turn, can learn.”
The top 15 public school districts receiving funds from the Feeding School Kids initiative include:
- Berkeley County School District, Martinsburg, W. Va. – $17,316
- Bethlehem Area School District, Bethlehem, Pa. – $15,079
- Carlisle Area School District, Carlisle, Pa. – $ 10,771
- Centennial School District, Warminster, Pa. – $16,531
- Central Bucks School District, Doylestown, Pa. – $18,806
- Central Dauphin School District, Harrisburg, Pa. – $16,602
- Frederick County Public Schools, Winchester, Va. – $21,982
- Mechanicsburg Area School District, Mechanicsburg, Pa. – $14,273
- North Penn School District, Lansdale, Pa. – $ 20,071
- State College Area School District, State College, Pa. – $17,314
- The Fund for the School District of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa. – $50,520
- The School District of Haverford Township, Havertown, Pa. – $17,509
- Washington County Public Schools, Hagerstown, Md. – $23,281
- West Chester Area School District, Exton, Pa. – $38,573
- Winchester City Public School District, Winchester, Va. – $17,847
Funds donated by customers benefited the local public school district in the community in which they were given. The GIANT Company’s matching funds were awarded based on need, as determined by the percentage of students in the district who receive free or reduced meals.
For more information on The GIANT Company’s efforts to eliminate hunger in the communities it serves, please click here