Community Service Spotlight
NATIONAL REPORT -- Giving back through community service efforts and charity donations is a positive force that keeps many retailers and suppliers of this industry moving ahead. On a regular basis, Convenience Store News highlights these philanthropic efforts in this special section.
Here are the latest company spotlights:
Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch provided 2,156 cases of emergency drinking water — or 51,744 cans — for use by residents affected by the recent storms in Washington, Pekin and East Peoria, Ill. Brewers Distributing is working with the American Red Cross to deliver the water to where it's needed.
Since 1988, Anheuser-Busch has donated more than 72 million cans of emergency drinking water following natural and other disasters.
Charity Oil
CITGO marketer Robert Spiegel's belief in giving back to his local community and in the great power of family led him to create Charity Oil, a nonprofit organization that provides quality heating oil at an affordable price and donates to charities selected by the customer.
The inspiration for Charity Oil grew from a family's tragedy. In 2004, Spiegel lost his sister, Jodi Spiegel Fisher, to breast cancer. He became an avid runner to help cope with his sister's ailing health, and while on a trail run, he came up with the idea to create a separate entity in honor of his sister that would be dedicated to fostering nonprofit relationships.
To accomplish its mission of helping others, Charity Oil currently partners with Mack Services Group and RF Ohl in Pennsylvania and SOS Xtreme Comfort in New York, but plans to expand its distributor base to 15 locations in the future. During the month of October, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center was the sole beneficiary of these donations in honor of Spiegel's sister and in recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The Coca-Cola Co.
The Coca-Cola Co. is donating more than $2.5 million in cash and in-kind contributions to support disaster relief and recovery efforts in the Philippines following the devastation from Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda).
Coca-Cola Philippines and its bottling partner, Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines, through The Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines, began donating water for relief efforts immediately after the storm to the Philippine Red Cross, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Coca-Cola Philippines is providing $1 million for additional relief initiatives and community rehabilitation, as well as assisting small independent customers with reconstruction. The Coca-Cola Foundation in Atlanta has contributed $1 million to the American National Red Cross for humanitarian aid to the Philippines. By the end of this week, the Coca-Cola system will have donated 129,000 cases of water to the affected communities, representing an in-kind contribution valued at $590,000.
OnCue Express
OnCue Express reached its goal to raise $180,000 during the 22nd annual St. Jude Halloween promotion to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. During the month-long promotion, customers joined the fight against pediatric cancer and donated $1 or more for a personalized Halloween-themed pinup that was displayed at OnCue Express locations.
OnCue Express has participated in the annual pinup promotion since 2006 and raised more than $710,000 for St. Jude.
The Pinnacle Corp.
Pinnacle partnered with the Trinity Habitat for Humanity chapter based in Arlington, Texas, to frame a home for a deserving family. Thirty employees volunteered over the course of two days to donate nearly 250 hours of service.
Habitat has helped more than 3 million people construct, rehabilitate or preserve homes since 1976.
Weigel’s Farm Stores Inc.
Earlier this month, more than 300 Weigel’s Farm Stores employees and volunteers came together and brought holiday dreams to life for more than 170 children in need in the greater Knoxville, Tenn., area.
This year marked the 15th year of Weigel’s Family Christmas, an event for underprivileged children from the area. Children aged five to seven were each given $150 for a holiday shopping spree at a local Kmart store. Since its inception in 1999, the program has served more than 1,400 children.
Additionally, every year the Salvation Army leverages its Angel Tree program to select deserving participants. Weigel’s organizes the event and provides funding.