SpartanNash Foundation teams up with store guests to support military heroes through patriotic partners Team RWB, Operation Homefront, Honor and Remember
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – As part of its commitment to building stronger communities and serving those who served, the SpartanNash Foundation invites store guests to take part in its companywide fundraising effort, supporting military heroes and their families. The SpartanNash Foundation’s fundraising effort will run July 1-12, and all funds raised will be evenly split between nonprofit organizations Team Red, White & Blue (Team RWB), Operation Homefront and Honor and Remember.
SpartanNash Foundation grants will be used to connect servicemembers, veterans and their families to their local communities through physical and social activity, provide critical financial assistance and family support services and honor those who lost their lives defending our freedoms.
During the 12-day scan, store guests who visit any participating SpartanNash-owned retail store or fuel center in nine states will have the opportunity to donate $1, $5 or $10 at any checkout lane, or round their total up to the nearest dollar to support the trio of patriotic partners. More than 150 stores are participating in the Foundation scan, primarily under the banners of Family Fare, D&W Fresh Market, VG’s Grocery and Dan’s Supermarket.
For the first time, 20 Martin’s Super Markets in Michigan and Indiana will also take part in the SpartanNash Foundation scan campaign, introducing the Foundation and its mission to Martin’s store guests for the first time.
“One of our company’s core values is patriotism, and we are deeply committed to serving our military heroes and their families both at home and abroad,” said Kathy Mahoney, SpartanNash Chief Legal Officer and President of the SpartanNash Foundation Board of Trustees. “We do so by contributing thousands of dollars, products and volunteer hours to military and veterans organizations and events each year, as well as hiring veterans and military-connected associates as a Military Friendly® and veteran-friendly employer.
“In partnership with Team RWB, Operation Homefront and Honor and Remember, our Foundation scan is another unique and powerful way we can support our military heroes and ensure they have access to the benefits they have earned and the camaraderie they need. What better time to join with our store guests to support our military heroes than leading up to the Fourth of July, when we celebrate the freedoms they protect.”
Since 2016, the SpartanNash Foundation has raised and granted more than $1 million for its patriotic partners through its fundraising scan campaigns, benefitting veterans service organizations including Give an Hour, Fisher House Foundation, Blue Star Mothers of America, Inc., Disabled Veterans National Foundation and in 2020, Team RWB, Operation Homefront and Honor and Remember.
Team RWB
Every year, more than 250,000 active duty servicemembers transition out of the military, joining the 3.5 million post-9/11 veterans already living in communities nationwide. They face many challenges including isolation, weight gain, lack of purpose and other health issues.
Founded in 2010, Team RWB’s mission is to enrich the lives of America’s veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity. Utilizing a nationwide network of chapters and an all-new mobile app, Team RWB hosts and participates in events designed to bring veterans together and engage in the communities where they live and work.
Team RWB is the bridge connecting communities – where veterans and civilians work together and gain common understanding. Team RWB takes the best of military service – the camaraderie and the physical challenges – and creates a new family of Eagles connected through physical activity.
“We’re honored and grateful that the SpartanNash Foundation, along with their store guests, recognizes the sacrifices veterans have made on behalf of our nation,” said Mike Erwin, Team RWB’s Executive Director. “We’re thrilled that this campaign will afford us the opportunity to support more veterans in their post-service journeys.”
Team RWB offers resources to ensure veterans have an effective transition back into their communities and ways to engage locally. Year to date, the organization has had nearly 100,000 veterans and servicemembers check-in to events, both virtual and in-person.
For more information, visit TeamRWB.org.
Operation Homefront
Founded in 2002, Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive – not simply struggle to get by – in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups, 91 percent of Operation Homefront expenditures go directly to programs that support tens of thousands of military families each year.
Operation Homefront provides critical financial assistance, transitional and permanent housing and family support services to prevent short-term needs from turning into chronic, long-term struggles. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the support from thousands of volunteers, Operation Homefront proudly serves America’s military families.
“We are absolutely thrilled to join SpartanNash and the SpartanNash Foundation for a third year to serve America’s military families,” said Brig. Gen. (ret.) John I. Pray Jr., president and CEO of Operation Homefront. “This special and deserving group of our fellow citizens has faced a series of unprecedented challenges this year and with the support of amazing donors like SpartanNash, we will be there for them in their time of need.”
Military families have been especially vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their financial challenges continue to mount as bills for the basics – rent, mortgage, home and car repairs, utilities, groceries and more – come due. Operation Homefront’s Critical Financial Assistance Program (CFA) has been there to support military families who are struggling to make ends meet – even in the midst of a crisis. SpartanNash Foundation funds support the CFA program, providing direct assistance with rent and mortgage payments, utility bills, car repairs, home repairs and groceries. Thanks to the generous support of partners such as the SpartanNash Foundation, Operation Homefront has fulfilled more than 44,000 requests for assistance, providing more than $28 million in grants since the CFA program began in 2011.
For more information, visit OperationHomefront.org.
Honor and Remember, Inc.
The mission of Honor and Remember is to publicly and perpetually recognize the ultimate sacrifice of America’s military fallen heroes and their families. The organization pays tribute to all military lives lost, not only while serving on active duty but also as a result of serving.
The primary vehicle for perpetual recognition is a specific and dedicated symbol of remembrance created by this organization: The Honor and Remember Flag, which is intended to fly continuously as a tangible and visible reminder to all Americans of the lives lost in defense of our national freedoms.
The flag was established as a public symbol of appreciation honoring all military lives lost while serving since our nation’s inception. Personalized flags are regularly presented to individual families of fallen service members. Each personalized flag contains the name, theater of operation and date of death of the individual. The flags are presented at both private and public occasions.
SpartanNash is a national partner and strong supporter of Honor and Remember, underwriting personal flag presentations to families of the fallen and flying the Honor and Remember flag at all company facilities. The flag artwork is also displayed on SpartanNash’s fleet of tractor trailers, which travel more than 50 million miles per year.
“SpartanNash is a standout leader in recognizing the importance of patriotism in our society, and through their ongoing military initiatives, thousands of veterans are being supported and employed,” said George Lutz, who founded Honor and Remember after losing his son in Iraq in 2005. “Not only do their associates and customers honor the value of military service, they recognize that the sacrifice of our nation’s fallen must never be forgotten. We are proud to once again partner with such an outstanding company and look forward to a successful boots on the ground initiative this summer.”
Through its partnership with the SpartanNash Foundation, Honor and Remember honored more than more than 200 families who have lost a loved one through military service with personalized Honor and Remember flags in 2019.
For more information, go to HonorandRemember.org.
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About the SpartanNash Foundation: The SpartanNash Foundation was formed in 2015 and is the charitable giving arm of SpartanNash. It is focused on providing financial support to nonprofit partners who align with its mission to end hunger, provide shelter and support our military heroes. With a combined total legacy of more than 100 years, the SpartanNash Foundation represents the best of its predecessors, the NFC Foundation and the Spartan Stores Foundation. The SpartanNash Foundation is a Michigan nonprofit corporation and is tax exempt under IRC 501(c)3. It is a non-operating private foundation. To learn more about the SpartanNash Foundation, visit spartannash.com/foundation.
About SpartanNash SpartanNash (Nasdaq: SPTN) is a Fortune 400 company whose core businesses include distributing grocery products to a diverse group of independent and chain retailers, its corporate-owned retail stores and U.S. military commissaries and exchanges; as well as operating a premier fresh produce distribution network. SpartanNash serves customer locations in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Europe, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Honduras, Bahrain, Djibouti and Egypt. SpartanNash currently operates 155 supermarkets, primarily under the banners of Family Fare, Martin’s Super Markets, D&W Fresh Market, VG’s Grocery and Dan’s Supermarket. Through its MDV military division, SpartanNash is a leading distributor of grocery products to U.S. military commissaries.