Giant Food announces Child Hunger Grants, 2012 contributions

LANDOVER, Md. — Giant Food, joined by Feeding America food bank leaders, held a press conference today to highlight the company's 2012 giving and announce Child Hunger Grants. Giant’s monetary and in-kind contributions exceeded $12 million, which was an increase from $8.3 million in 2011.

“Giant Food is a proud community partner. Giving back is a cornerstone of our company, which was instilled by our founders 77 years ago,” said Anthony Hucker, president of Giant Food. “We’re very proud of our legacy, especially as the nation’s capital grocer, and are committed to being a better neighbor each and every day.”

Giant’s support of Feeding America food bank partners and hunger relief organizations, including the Capital Area Food Bank, Maryland Food Bank, Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, Fredericksburg Area Food Bank and Food Bank of Delaware, remains the neighborhood grocer’s top priority. Through food drives, special deliveries and monetary and product donations, Giant’s contributions helped partners provide 55.2 million meals to neighbors in need.

Also at today’s press conference, Giant Food president Anthony Hucker announced Giant’s first-ever Child Hunger Grants to benefit five Feeding America food bank partners. This year’s grants are in excess of $850,000 and grant commitments over the next three years are equivalent to more than $2.8 million, enabling the Capital Area Food Bank, Maryland Food Bank, Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, Fredericksburg Area Food Bank and Food Bank of Delaware to implement programs and initiatives to combat child hunger.

“According to Feeding America, more than 200,000 children throughout the Washington metropolitan region are at risk of hunger. Nearly 1-in-5 children lives in households that struggle to put food on the table. Giant Food is doing our part to support our food bank partners — the ones on the frontlines fighting childhood hunger — through these significant Child Hunger Grants,” said Hucker.

In addition to hunger relief, Giant teamed up with health and wellness groups, military support organizations and various nonprofit organizations, as well as supporting education programs, to help individuals and families in the communities it serves across the Mid-Atlantic region. 2012 highlights include:

• In its eighth year, the Triple Winner program raised $1.5 million for Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and The Children’s Cancer Foundation to fight pediatric cancer.
• Last year, Giant sponsored more than 200 youth baseball and softball teams, encouraging kids to be active. In addition, the neighborhood grocer hosted “Get Out & Play” clinics with major and minor league baseball teams across the region.
• During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Giant raised $37,305 for the Capital Breast Care Center.
• In March, Giant hosted an in-store giving campaign to support the USO of Metropolitan Washington and USO Delaware and sold CareOne Care Packages featuring essential care items to support our troops and military families.
• Giant again hosted Toys for Tots collection bins at all neighborhood stores during the holiday season and donated $25,000 to purchase toys for children in need.
• Throughout the year, Giant donated more than $1 million to support local community initiatives and organizations, from churches and synagogues to Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, firehouses, hospitals and more.
• More than $2 million awarded to local schools through A+ School Rewards, which augmented school budgets and purchased new technology, playground equipment, musical instruments, athletic uniforms and more.