Community Service Spotlight: Chevron & Consumers Petroleum

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:

Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
Chevron U.S.A. Inc., in partnership with DonorsChoose.org, generated nearly $7.1 million for 16 U.S. communities as part of the 2013 Fuel Your School program. This year's program benefitted more than 8,000 local public-school classroom projects, including more than 4,000 resources to support science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) curriculum, and impacted a total of 940,440 students.

The Fuel Your School program has grown each year to support students in various communities where Chevron has business operations. Since its inception in 2010, Fuel Your School has helped fund more than 17,000 classroom projects in the United States.

Consumers Petroleum
CITGO marketer Consumers Petroleum in Milford, Conn., raised more than $114,000 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) at its 20th annual MDA Golf Tournament. Consumers Petroleum was joined by 54 vendors and 110 golfers at the October event.

Consumers Petroleum is a third-generation, family-owned and -operated gasoline distributorship in business since 1936, selling branded gasoline to customers in the Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania markets.

Crown Imports
Crown Imports' corporate social responsibility program, Corona Cares, raised $150,000 in North Carolina this year to benefit patient and family support programs at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. Over the past four years, Corona Cares has contributed more than $500,000 to these programs.

Crown Imports and all of the Corona wholesalers across the state committed 25 cents of every case of Corona Extra and Corona Light sold this August and 100 percent of the donations from paper lime purchases to the cancer center, which treats patients from all 100 North Carolina counties.

Living Essentials LLC
Living Essentials launched the 5-hour Energy Helps Amazing People program, which recognizes outstanding people who, despite their own challenges, give their time and energy to make the lives of others better. Those who are selected receive $50,000 and are featured in a weekly online video series that is heavily promoted on YouTube and Facebook, garnering tens of millions of views and significant exposure for their efforts, which are often aligned with nonprofit organizations.

More than 20 individuals have been featured to date, with a total donation of more than $1 million. Recipients have included a victim of gang violence who now provides a safe haven for teenagers in the most dangerous section of New Orleans; a mother with disabled sons who volunteers tirelessly for Easter Seals; a widow who has dedicated her life to taking in orphans in need; a former Bollywood actress who's spent her life savings to help victims of domestic violence in Miami; a wildfire victim from Colorado Springs who lost her home yet continues to rescue puppies from mills; and an Iraq War veteran with posttraumatic stress disorder who assists those returning from service with getting back on their feet.

Murphy USA Inc.
Thanks to a partnership between Murphy USA and the Salvation Army, 60 children were recently treated to a Christmas party at a Salvation Army Shelter in San Antonio. The children participated in decorating a Christmas tree, baking cookies and other Christmas traditions that they are unfamiliar with, since many do not have a home. Santa Claus also made an appearance and handed out presents, joined by an elf and a reindeer.