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Happy New Year!
2020 was a year like no other, and we’re so proud of our teams and our customers for stepping up to serve, support and take care of our communities. Here’s a glance of what we accomplished in 2020. We are excited for 2021 and our ongoing purpose of connecting families for a better future.
Kwanzaa is a good reminder that good things happen around the table. May the warmth and togetherness of Kwanzaa bring happiness to your home, along with purpose and prosperity throughout the new year.
To help kick off the holiday season, we held our first-ever, weeklong chainwide food drive. Each of our stores collected non-perishable food items from customers, with donations going to the local food pantry in their community, just in time to help refill shelves and help ensure every family could share a holiday meal. Thanks to the generosity of our customers and the energy of our team members, nearly 400 pallets, or an estimated 175,000 pounds of shelf-stable food like canned vegetables, pasta, oatmeal, and soup were donated -- enough to fill 16 tractor-trailers! "We really didn't know what to expect, being our first attempt at a food drive this big, but we were blown away by the results," said Emily Steinkamp, manager of social impact, The GIANT Company. "The giving spirit of our customers and team members has been evident throughout 2020, and this is yet another example of how together, we can make a difference for those who need it most."
It’s our last Meet a Team Member Monday of 2020 and it’s a GREAT one! Meet Eric Johnson, who joined our team in 2003 as part of our night crew. At that very moment, he set the goal of becoming a store manager. Learning all along the way and growing through new opportunities, he achieved that goal in August of this year, when he was promoted to store manager of our Newtown Square, PA store. When he was an assistant store manager, he was told that at the end of the day, the grocery business is about people, and those words ring true today. “To me, this business is about people and relationships. We connect families as they gather for meals at the table or as they grab a snack on the way out the door. The food we sell is a bridge and leads to engagement between our loved ones, and that is For Today’s Table, that is The GIANT Company." Added Eric, “We make relationships with our team, vendors, and our customers, and we become a family. Eric, we are so glad you are a part of our family. Thank you for all that you do and for always putting people and purpose first!
Today, we're awarding donations totaling $100,000 to local organizations that share our commitment to creating more diverse, inclusive, and equitable communities. This is our second round of contributions stemming from our $500,000 commitment announced earlier this year. "Each of these organizations is working to create healthier communities through the advancement of racial equality and equity, something that The GIANT Company strongly supports," said Aaysha Noor, head of diversity and inclusion, The GIANT Company. "We are honored to be partnering with organizations like the YWCA Carlisle to create a better, more equitable tomorrow for our shared communities." Learn more about our partners and how we're working together to make a difference in our communities below.
"Every family celebrates the festival of lights in their own unique way," said GIANT team member Joseph Rovner. "To this day, I associate the holiday with the mouthwatering aroma of homemade potato latkes and the sound of dreidels hitting the floor. In spite of gravity, my childhood friends and I remained convinced that we were just one perfect wrist flick away from setting the dreidel spin world record." The GIANT Company wishes everyone a celebration filled with love, light, and family. Happy Hanukkah!
'Tis the season to be baking! No matter the recipe, for many families, the best part of holiday baking is the time spent together. To lend a helping hand in the kitchen during this busy time of year, our team members have been surprising customers with oven mitts - scroll through to see the fun they've been having!
Today, we’re getting to know Phyllis Smith, a beloved member of our team for 20 years! Phyllis serves as an Assistant Store Manager of Customer Experience at the Hellertown, PA GIANT, where she leads the store in its efforts to deliver outstanding customer service. When asked about the secret to her success, Phyllis quickly pointed to the mentors in her life. She credits former colleague Carol Olander with helping her advance within the company, encouraging her to always “speak from the heart” and expand her skill set at every chance. Phyllis carries that advice with her today and now serves as a mentor to women across the organization. “Being a mentor for young women in our industry is incredibly important to me. They saw something in me that I didn’t, and I want to do that for the next generation. I want them to know that having it all, a family and career, is possible. I’m proof of that.” Phyllis, thank you for all that you do and for investing so much of yourself into our next generation of female leader, who are learning from the best of the best!
At The GIANT Company, the work we do may start with groceries, but it doesn’t end there. We’re passionate about making a difference in our communities and work 365 days a year to help make our neighborhoods and families stronger, but on days like GivingTuesday, we wanted to do a little bit more. Check out the video below for a peek at our morning with the Carlisle Area Family Life Center, which provides support, education, and practical assistance in a loving way to women and babies right in our hometown. Watch until the end to see an extra special surprise! And that was only the beginning! Read up on the other nonprofit partners we thanked here: https://lnkd.in/dSv4Y3W.
