Inland Stores Donate $30,000 to Katrina Victims
BAINBRIDGE, Ga. -- Inland Stores and customers contributed a total of $30,000, including $6,000 generated from customer donations, to the Salvation Army to assist in the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.
"We were thrilled to be able to make such a sizable donation to this worthwhile cause," said Glennie Bench, chief financial officer and vice president of finance for Bainbridge, Ga.-based Inland Oil. "As with other companies based in small towns, most of our charitable and civic donations have been made to local organizations that rely on the hometown employers for support."
After Hurricane Katrina, the company felt "compelled to meet the needs of people that extended far beyond their market area," Bench said. According to Bench, the company set a goal to raise $1,000 per store to donate to the Salvation Army’s hurricane relief effort. Customers were asked to donate $1 toward the cause and have their names placed on an Inland "sunshine" in each store.
"At a time when their pocketbooks were being strained by record gas prices, we were humbled by their generous response," Bench said. "We hope this donation, in a small way, will help those whose lives have been torn apart by Hurricane Katrina."
Inland, which has 30 stores in Georgia, Florida, and Alabama, also supports the convenience store industry's involvement in the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s "shamrock" program.
"We were thrilled to be able to make such a sizable donation to this worthwhile cause," said Glennie Bench, chief financial officer and vice president of finance for Bainbridge, Ga.-based Inland Oil. "As with other companies based in small towns, most of our charitable and civic donations have been made to local organizations that rely on the hometown employers for support."
After Hurricane Katrina, the company felt "compelled to meet the needs of people that extended far beyond their market area," Bench said. According to Bench, the company set a goal to raise $1,000 per store to donate to the Salvation Army’s hurricane relief effort. Customers were asked to donate $1 toward the cause and have their names placed on an Inland "sunshine" in each store.
"At a time when their pocketbooks were being strained by record gas prices, we were humbled by their generous response," Bench said. "We hope this donation, in a small way, will help those whose lives have been torn apart by Hurricane Katrina."
Inland, which has 30 stores in Georgia, Florida, and Alabama, also supports the convenience store industry's involvement in the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s "shamrock" program.