Southeastern Grocers Delivers Disaster Relief Through Donations, Fundraising
To help those impacted by Hurricane Ida, which slammed into the Gulf Coast last month, Southeastern Grocers, Inc. has provided assistance in the form of funding, product donations and service.
In the immediate aftermath, Southeastern Grocers worked to provide residents with safe drinking water, via donations of water bottles and bags of ice. The retailer rolled out a mobile food pantry in hard-hit Southeast Louisiana and partnered with area food banks to distribute groceries, cleaning supplies and diapers to affected residents throughout the region. Mobile pharmacies were set up to enable shoppers to access much-needed medicines and health supplies.
Through local donation events and a campaign with shoppers and associates, the retailer has given more than $566,000 to communities rebuilding after the storm, pledging monetary assistance to aid organizations including the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund and Second Harvest Food Bank. Southeastern Grocers also created a GoFundMe campaign through its SEG Cares Foundation to help its associates who were displaced or faced immense losses due to the hurricane.
“The devastating impact of Hurricane Ida has left a lasting imprint on the lives of many of our associates, customers and neighbors. It is truly heartbreaking to watch the communities we care about struggle to move forward from overwhelming destruction,” said Anthony Hucker, Southeastern Grocers’ president and CEO. “As we strive to pick up the pieces together, Southeastern Grocers is dedicated to supporting the Gulf Coast with the necessary resources to rebuild, recover and remain resilient. We have weathered many storms, and as with others, we are confident that we will once again emerge stronger together.”
Jacksonville, Fla.-based Southeastern Grocers is one of the largest conventional supermarket companies in the United States, with grocery stores, liquor stores and in-store pharmacies serving communities throughout Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi. The company is No. 43 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer's 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
