ATLANTA, GA, October 12, 2009 - Publix Super Markets, Inc., has teamed up with The Feed the Hungry Foundation and The Salvation Army to help alleviate hunger this holiday season. Customers are encouraged to stop by any Metro Atlanta Publix store this holiday season, Nov. 2 - Dec. 31, to make a donation.
Publix has made the contribution process easier this year for all parties involved. In previous years, store personnel would customize food bags available for customer purchase. The process consumed a lot of time. Each store will have a Food for Sharing display. Customers simply chose their donation amount by handing the cashier a tear tab sheet valuing $4.90, $9.88 or $10.47. The amount will be added to the customer's order.
"We have long enjoyed the partnership with Publix and their customers," said Mack Barnes, president of The Feed the Hungry Foundation. "We were always grateful for the amount of donations received; however, it was labor intensive for our volunteer staff to break down the holiday bags in order to inventory the items donated. With the new process, we receive items in full cases and can accommodate our food banks' needs and meet the needs of our families more efficiently."
"In our 17th year of collecting food for the needy in the Atlanta area, we are committed to doing our part to end hunger in our communities in a more sustainable fashion," said Brenda Reid, Atlanta media and community relations manager. "We are in a unique position to assess the needs of nonprofits throughout our market area through our community outreach and partnerships with local food banks. In a tough economic environment, our partners and customers are looking to us to make this holiday season easier and more fruitful for those in need."
More than 150 Metro Atlanta area Publix stores will participate in this campaign. As a thank you to those customers making a donation to the Food for Sharing program, Publix will provide customers with a specially designed reusable bag. Limit one per customer per donation.
Additional partners for the program include media partners WXIA-TV 11-Alive, WSB-FM, WSB- AM, WALR-KISS 104 FM and WSRV-The River FM.
Publix is privately owned and operated by its 138,000 employees, with 2008 sales of $23.9 billion. Currently Publix has 1,010 stores in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee. The company has been named one of FORTUNE's "100 Best Companies to Work For in America" for 12 consecutive years. In addition, Publix's dedication to superior quality and customer service is recognized as tops in the grocery business, most recently by an American Customer Satisfaction Index survey. For more information, visit the company's Web site, www.publix.com.