Giant Co. Launches 2023 Healing the Planet Grant Program

Partnership with Keep PA Beautiful will award $300k to projects addressing food waste

3/1/2023

The Giant Co. Keep PA Beautiful Main Image

The 2023 Healing the Planet grant program will award $300,000 to projects addressing food waste prevention, reduction and recovery across The Giant Co.’s market area.

The Giant Co. and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful have rolled out their third annual Healing the Planet grant program. This year, $300,000 will go to projects addressing food waste prevention, reduction and recovery across The Giant Co.’s market area of Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia.

“In the past two years of our grant program and partnership with Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, we have worked with dozens of grant recipients to make a difference in healing the planet by connecting families to green spaces and focusing on water conservation,” noted Jessica Groves, The Giant Co.’s community impact manager. “As a grocer, we are tackling the issue of food waste in our operations every day. Understanding that we all can make changes to divert food waste for our landfills, this year we are focusing on projects which specifically take steps to address this issue.”

The program is accepting online applications through April 13 via the website of Greensburg-based Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. Projects can include community composting, greater access to compost for agricultural producers, educational programs and diversion of food waste from landfills. Community gardens are eligible for funding but must have a food waste prevention, reduction and or recovery component, such as education. Grantees will be revealed in June.

Since the program began, more than $800,000 has gone to 87 recipients for projects that connected people and families to green spaces, and improved or helped to protect local waterways and water resources.

Additionally, through May 31, customers can round up their purchases at any Giant, Martin’s or Giant Heirloom Market store at checkout, with funds benefiting Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, Rodale Institute and Planet Bee Foundation.

With more than 35,000 associates supporting more than 190 stores, 130-plus pharmacies, 107 fuel stations, and 180-plus online pickup hubs and a grocery delivery service in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and New Jersey, Carlisle, Pa.-based The Giant Co. encompasses the following banners: Giant, Martin’s, Giant Heirloom Market, Giant Direct and Martin’s Direct. Parent company Ahold Delhaize USA, a division of Zaandam, Netherlands-based Ahold Delhaize, is No. 10 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.