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Giant Food Recaps Commitment to Communities, Associates and Local Partners

D.C.-area grocer releases annual Better Neighbor Report
Lynn Petrak, Progressive Grocer
Giant Food farmer support
Among other initiatives, Giant Food supports farmers in the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia region through the American Farmland Trust's Brighter Future Fund.

Giant Food, which recently launched a brand campaign spotlighting the importance of locality with the theme “This is Home,” is out with its fourth annual Better Neighbor Report. The report details the company’s efforts and progress in 2023, encompassing customer service, community outreach and associate engagement, among other topics.

"The annual Better Neighbor Report allows us to reflect on the many positive changes we've created in our company – online, and at our stores and distribution facilities - for our associates, our customers, and within our community," explained President Ira Kress. "We're proud of the work we've accomplished throughout 2023 and look forward to continuing to provide the best value and experience to our customers, partners, and communities as a THE trusted, local neighborhood supermarket."

The report lists several strides that Giant Food has made in these areas over the past year. While the list isn’t exhaustive – “In fact, our work will never be done, which is exactly what inspires us to continue growing,” the company acknowledges in the introduction – it does show the impact of a range of programs on important stakeholders. 

Highlights include the following: 

Better Neighbor

  • Donated 4,168,818 meals totaling over 5 million pounds of food to Giant's Feeding America food bank partners
  • Donated $900,000 to the USO National Capital District through a combined effort of Giant and its customers to support local service members and their families
  • Raised more than $1.8 million through the Annual Pediatric Cancer Fundraising Program benefiting The Children's Cancer Foundation, Inc. and The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at John Hopkins
  • Pledged $2 million through the Giant Family Foundation to communities facing severe economic and health inequalities
  • Donated over $1 million to 11 local organizations working to eliminate health and economic disparities and to support local farmers
  • Diverted over 32 million pounds of food waste, which was converted into renewable energy through Giant's wasted food recycling program

Better Place to Shop

  • Reached over 36,000 adults and children with nutrition education through 900+ healthy living classes and events hosted by the Giant Healthy Living Team
  • Provided over 389,960 vaccines at Giant Food Pharmacy locations and Giant's mobile unit that hosted 1,436 community clinics for underserved and high-risk populations
  • Partnered with 194 certified owned suppliers accounting for 1,665 products and partnered with 136 local vendors

Better Place to Work

  • Earned a score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index for the fifth consecutive year for efforts in LGBTQ+ workplace equality
  • Provided 230,000 hours of professional development courses to associates
  • Provided $122,000 in scholarships and grants given to 38 Giant associates or their children
  • Hired or promoted 287 associates to the managerial and leadership level
  • Created an employee LGBTQ+ Benefits Guide and Gender Transition Guidelines
  • Celebrated top-performing leadership members and associates through Giant's internal recognition programs and special events, as well as five Top Women in Grocery award recipients and 11 Women of Influence winners

The full report is available online.

Based in Landover, Md., Giant Food operates 165 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia, with approximately 20,000 associates. Included within the 165 stores are 153 full-service pharmacies, more than 80 full-service PNC Banks and 29 Starbucks locations. Parent company Ahold Delhaize USA is No. 10 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. PG also named the company one of its Retailers of the Century.

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