Community Service Roundup, December 2020
By Hannah Hammond on Jan. 04, 2021CHICAGO — This month’s roundup features eight convenience-store chains that have given back during this holiday season.
Click through to see who was featured in December…
Rutter's
Rutter’s, York, Pa., raised more than $5,000 in toy and monetary donations for the Mont Alto Fire Company and the York Salvation Army. The fundraising is part of the Rutter’s Children’s Charities initiative that includes hosting a toy drive and teaming up with Rutter’s store and corporate employees to support both organizations.
Since 2008, the c-store chain has donated $20,000 to the Mont Alto Fire Company and the York Salvation Army through the toy drive.
Sheetz
Sheetz, Altoona, Pa., provided nearly 9 tons of food at 24 hospitals in communities where Sheetz is located. The meals included a variety of snacks and drink to help fuel medical personnel as they work to fight the COVID-19 virus, according to the company.
Sheetz employees unloaded the meals at the hospitals.
Stewart’s Shops
Stewart’s Shops, Ballston Spa, N.Y., collected a total of $941,207 for its Holiday Match Program. That amounts to about $1.9 million with the company’s match.
Stewart’s Shops matches each donation dollar for dollar and the money goes to help local nonprofits. Holiday Match funds are collected from Thanksgiving to Christmas day at each of Stewart’s Shops 339 stores.
TravelCenters of America
TravelCenters of America, Westlake, Ohio, raised more than $88,000 for the St. Christopher’s Trucker Relief Fund (SCF). The organization supports professional drivers and their families when an illness or injury causes them to be out of work.
Customers at TA, Petro and TA Express travel centers donated the money through the company’s Be a Champion of Change register roundup campaign. The campaign, which allowed customers to round up their purchase to the dollar amount, lasted Sept. 16 through Nov. 30.
The 2020 campaign featured professional driver Howard Salmon and his 4-year-old son Liam, who was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer.
“He is an everyday blessing in my life,” Salmon said of his son. “Being home with him when I got home from the road was like father’s day all over again. What we’re doing with SCF is helping the next family, not just the next individual, but the entire family.”
Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores
Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores, Oklahoma City, has donated $1 million to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County and $500,000 to Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City.
The donation was made to the United Way of Central Oklahoma’s COVID-19 Relief Fund and earmarked for the two nonprofits. Both organizations have seen an increase in demand for services amid the pandemic, Love’s said. The organizations help provide meals, support and homelessness response initiatives.
Love’s also worked with Operation Homefront, which helps military families, to donate 125 meal kits to military families in Oklahoma City. Earlier this year, Love’s made a $125,000 donation to the organization.
QuickChek
QuickChek, Whitehouse Station, N.J., raised $124,725 in support of local food banks’ efforts to feed families. Food banks on Long Island are reporting a nearly 50% increase in their food distribution since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the c-store chain.
QuickChek raised a portion of its donations through a coin drive to assist those who have been affected by the coronavirus crisis. It also donated 25 cents for every Thanksgiving Everyday Sub and Wrap it sold during November to the Check-Out Hunger fundraising campaign. Customers also made donations by rounding up purchases at stores.
GPM Investments
GPM, Richmond, Va., is selling Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) pinups for $1 through December. Customers can also round up their purchases to the nearest whole dollar to support MDA families.
Since 2021, GPM donated more than $1.4 million in support of the MDA’s mission of transforming the lives of people with muscular dystrophy, ALS and related neuromuscular diseases.
First Coast Energy LLP
First Coast Energy LLP, which operates Daily’s c-stores, donated $5 million to the Nemours Children’s Health System. The donation will help support the enhancement of facilities in Jacksonville, Fla., where Daily’s is based, and fuel innovations to improve care across the system, according to the company.
The donation and dedication of The Daily’s Foundation Pavilion at Nemours children’s Specialty Care in Jacksonville marked the expansion of Daily’s partnership with Nemours to provide increased awareness and support for the work of the health system.
Want to share your c-store company’s community service initiatives? Email CSP Associate Editor Hannah Prokop at hprokop@winsightmedia.com.