GIANT donates $250,000 to hunger relief efforts, including local food bank

The GIANT Company, which owns GIANT and Martin's stores throughout the Mid-Atlantic, is donating a quarter-million dollars to hunger relief organizations throughout their area.

According to an announcement from the company on Wednesday, they're donating $250,000 to 18 local organizations, including the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank in Verona.

Each of the organizations will use the money to help address immediate needs of supplying food and ensuring food delivery to families in need throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

The funds will also be used to offset added operational expenses from operating right now, in a time of increased demand and supply shortages.

“The GIANT Company is continuing to look for ways we can provide support to our community partners during this critical time as they are working overtime to respond to an ever-increasing number of clients,” said John Ponnett, senior vice president of retail operations, The GIANT Company. “Already on the frontlines of eliminating hunger in their communities, these organizations are now faced with doing so amid new challenges like food and volunteer shortages. It’s our hope that this donation will ease their burden and enable them to continue feeding the many families relying on them.”

“At a time when we are seeing tremendous increases in unemployment and the need for food across the state, this partnership ensures that The Salvation Army can continue to be a beacon of hope and healing as we have for more than 150 years,” said Lt. Col. Larry Ashcraft, divisional commander, The Salvation Army Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware Division. “There is no quarantine from hunger. We thank The GIANT Company for their generous gift that will assist us to get food into the hands and mouths of people who need it most, during these desperate times.”

The $250,000 is in addition to a previous donation of $250,000 the company gave to four organizations last month: Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, Philabundance, Maryland Food Bank, and Meals on Wheels Pennsylvania.

Customers at Martin's or GIANT stores can support their hunger relief efforts by rounding up purchases at self-checkouts.

The full list of food banks and organizations receiving support from the company includes:

• Blair County Community Action Program, Altoona, Pa.

• Blue Ridge Food Bank, Verona, Va.

• Downtown Daily Bread, Harrisburg, Pa.

• Dubois Food Pantry, Dubois, Pa.

• Family & Community Services of Delaware County, Media, Pa.

• Helping Harvest Food Bank, Reading, Pa.

• Lebanon County Christian Ministries, Lebanon, Pa.

• Loaves and Fishes, Martinsburg, W. Va.

• Manna on Main Street, Lansdale, Pa.

• New Hope Ministries, Mechanicsburg, Pa.

• Perry County Food Bank, New Bloomfield, Pa.

• Project Share, Carlisle, Pa.

• Salvation Army - Eastern PA and Delaware Division, Philadelphia, Pa.

• Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania, Nazareth, Pa.

• Sharing Excess, Philadelphia, Pa.

• Water Street Rescue Mission, Lancaster, Pa.

• West Chester Food Cupboard, West Chester, Pa.

• York County Food Bank, York, Pa.