Community Service Spotlight: Alta Convenience, GPM Investments & OnCue

NATIONAL REPORT — Giving back through community service efforts and charitable 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:

Aloha Petroleum

The Hawaii-based convenience store retailer donated $7,375.76 to Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawai'i, a nonprofit organization that mentors children through one-on-one professionally supported mentorships.

Funds were raised through Aloha Petroleum's ongoing canister collection program at participating Aloha Island Mart stores statewide. 

"It is thanks to our customers and their outstanding support that we are able to contribute to local nonprofits, such as Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawai'i," said Gary Altman, general manager of company-operated stores for Aloha Petroleum. "We're so pleased to support the great work that they do to help children facing adversity reach their fullest potential by matching them with a caring volunteer in a one-to-one mentoring friendship."

Alta Convenience

Alta Convenience raised $100,000 for Make-A-Wish Foundation through the Buy-A-Star, Make-A-Wish campaign. Nine new convenience stores in Canon City, Colo., raised the most money for Make-A-Wish at $26,000. Since 2013, Alta has raised more than $300,000.

"Pester Marketing and our stores which operate under the Alta Convenience flag have been involved with Make-A-Wish for the last five years," said Rich Spresser, president of Pester Marketing. "I cannot think of a better charity to partner with and the results shows in the generous donations made by our customers year after year."

Pester Marketing is the parent company of Alta Convenience, operator of 110 c-stores in four states: Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and New Mexico.

Campbell Soup Co.

Campbell Soup Co. was named to the 15th annual Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World list by Corporate Knights, a media, research and financial products company.

The ranking of corporate sustainability performance is based on metrics covering resource, employee and financial management; clean revenue; and supplier performance. Campbell is one of 22 U.S. companies, and one of only two U.S. food companies, included in the Global 100.

Campbell's sustainability achievements noted by the Global 100 include:

• Received high marks in the "clean revenue" metric, which counts for 50 percent of each company’s score and measures the percentage of revenues earned from products or services that have environmental or well-defined social benefits.
• Campbell included greenhouse gas emission, water and waste reduction targets among the performance metrics used to determine annual incentive compensation from 2012-2018.
• Successfully reduced waste sent to landfills and is now focused on reducing food waste in its operations with a goal to cut food waste in half by 2030, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12.3.
• Campbell scored in the top percentile for research and development innovation and employee safety.
• Recognized for the gender diversity of its board of directors, with female directors accounting for 33 percent of the board (as of November 2018, female directors make up 36 percent of Campbell’s board).

"Campbell's corporate responsibility efforts continue to evolve as we live into our purpose: Real Food that Matters for Life’s Moments," said Dave Stangis, vice president of corporate responsibility and chief sustainability officer. "With this evolution remains a steadfast commitment to transparently doing what’s right — for our business, our communities and the environment. We are proud to be recognized by Corporate Knights for these commitments as one of the most sustainable corporations in the world."

Casey's General StoreS Inc.

Ankeny, Iowa-based Casey's kicked off Round-Up for Kids, a new campaign spanning the month of February with all proceeds going to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMN).

The goal of this year's campaign was to raise $1.2 million, after that amount was reached last year. Over the past five years, Casey's has raised more than $5 million for CMN.

GPM Investments LLC

GPM Investments raised $244,263 through its eighth holiday pinup campaign through the month of December to support the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA).

Throughout the month of December, approximately 1,400 GPM-operated stores participated in the fundraiser in which customers purchased a MDA pinup at checkout for a $1 contribution to help accelerate treatments and cures for muscle disease. Each customer who purchased a pinup received coupons as GPM’s way of saying "thank you" for their generosity. All signed pinups were then prominently displayed in each store.

"GPM is committed to helping give local kids with neuromuscular diseases the life-changing experience of MDA Summer Camp where they can explore a world of independence," said GPM Investments President and CEO Arie Kotler. "We are grateful to our generous customers and store employees for their donations and time, providing us the ability to make a positive impact on the lives of individuals living with muscle dystrophy in our communities."

GPM's convenience store brands include Admiral, Apple Market, BreadBox, E-Z Mart, fas mart, Jiffi Stop, Jiffy Stop, Li’l Cricket, Next Door Store, 1-Stop, Roadrunner Markets, Scotchman, shore stop, Village Pantry and Young’s.

OnCue

OnCue presented $10,000 to local United Way organizations following a successful fundraising cup campaign. The convenience retailer sold more than 16,500 United Way collectors cups and gave 50 cents from each cup directly to the store’s local United Way.