CARLISLE, Pa. (WHTM) — The GIANT Company says more than $1.3 million was raised through its Feeding School Kids initiative to combat hunger throughout local public school districts.
Since the beginning of the year, up until Feb. 28, customers at GIANT, MARTIN’s, and GIANT Heirloom Market stores were given the opportunity to round up their grocery purchases to the nearest dollar to support their local public school districts’ food programs.
Customers could also convert their CHOICE points into a donation for the same cause.
The top 15 public school districts will be receiving funds from the Feeding School Kids Initiative:
- The School District of Philadelphia, Pa. – $116,330
- West Chester Area School District, Exton, Pa. – $39,823
- Washington County Public Schools, Hagerstown, Md. – $23,896
- North Penn School District, Lansdale, Pa. – $20,679
- Frederick County Public Schools, Winchester, Va. – $20,227
- Berkeley County School District, Martinsburg, W.Va. – $18,746
- Central Dauphin School District, Harrisburg, Pa. – $18,610
- Central Bucks School District, Doylestown, Pa. – $18,407
- Bethlehem Area School District, Bethlehem, Pa. – $17,062
- The School District of Haverford Township, Havertown, Pa. – $17,051
- State College Area School District, State College, Pa. – $15,660
- Carlisle Area School District, Carlisle, Pa. – $15,420
- Winchester Public Schools, Winchester, Va. – $15,408
- Centennial School District, Warminster, Pa. – $14,801
- Allentown School District, Allentown, Pa. – $14,137
“The GIANT Company is grounded in its purpose of connecting families for a better future and eliminating hunger – particularly childhood hunger – is essential to turning our purpose into action,” said Jessica Groves, community impact manager, The GIANT Company. “Young minds cannot grow and learn on an empty stomach, and the Feeding School Kids initiative helps ensure a brighter future for our youth through food. Together, in partnership with our customers, we continue to connect school kids to vital nutrition, helping the learners of today grow into the leaders of tomorrow.”
On top of the customers’ donations, the GIANT Company also donated $250,000 to the program.
The Feeding School Kids initiative helps school districts obtain funds that can be used to support meal programs such as covering outstanding student meal debt, expanding food distribution programs, creating on-campus food pantries, and supplying extra weekend meals.
The GIANT Company stated the funds that were donated benefited the community in which they were donated in. They were awarded based on need, as determined by the percentage of students in the district who receive free or reduced meals.
The donation was announced on March 6 in Altoona, where the GIANT Company presented Altoona Area School District with a donation of more than $11,000 and nearly 1,300 snacks.
