QuickChek Helps Fight Food Insecurity

QuickChek employees from its corporate headquarters, support center in Whitehouse Station, N.J., and local store team members picked peaches at America’s Grow-a-Row farm in Pittstown, N.J., and donated the fruit to those in need. The trees the volunteers thinned will produce roughly 21,000 pounds of peaches, which is the equivalent of 84,000 servings of fruit.

“We could not have accomplished this without the volunteers from QuickChek,” said America’s Grow-a-Row Programming Associate Erica Stevenson. “We appreciate their taking a few hours out of their day to help those in need and make an impact in the community.”

QuickChek’s impact will be further increased by its “Pennies for Produce” campaign in which company stores collected coins at store checkout between March 12 and June 4 to aid the Hunterdon County organization’s mission of positively impacting as many lives as possible through the planting, picking, rescuing and delivering of free fresh produce.

Customers at company stores donated $67,000 during the campaign. For each $1 raised, America’s Grow-a-Row can provide five servings of fresh produce to those struggling with food insecurity. The $67,000 raised equals 335,000 servings of fresh produce.

“We’re proud to continue our support of America’s Grow-a-Row in their mission to fight hunger and as always, we wish to thank our team members for giving so much of themselves, and we also thank our loyal customers for their continued generosity in helping us help our neighbors,” said QuickChek Vice President of Marketing and Operations Don Leech. “We join America’s Grow-a-Row in their belief that everyone deserves fresh food for healthy living.”

In 2021, a team of volunteers harvested 26,660 pounds of cabbage at America’s Grow-a-Row, which were then distributed by the Community Food Bank of New Jersey to local area families in need during the Thanksgiving holiday.

In The Community

Every year, the convenience and fuel retailing industry dedicates billions of dollars to advancing the futures of individuals and families in our communities. The NACS Foundation unifies and builds on NACS members’ charitable efforts to amplify their work in communities across America and to share these powerful stories.

Learn more at www.conveniencecares.org.

YESWAY IS UVALDE STRONG

Yesway said it would donate $25,000 to support families and community members affected by the mass shooting at an Uvalde elementary school in May that claimed the lives of 19 children and two teachers. Through June 30, 2022, Yesway and Allsup’s customers were invited to make $1, $5, $10 (or larger) donations at checkout to the Uvalde Strong fundraising campaign.

“Everyone at Yesway is deeply saddened by this senseless tragedy, which hits very close to home, and we feel compelled to support our neighbors in Uvalde,” said Tom Trkla, Yesway’s chairman and CEO.

“Every generous donation will help us to achieve our goal of raising $50,000 for those whose lives have been irrevocably changed,” Trkla said.

ALLSUP’S HONORS TEXAS COMMUNITIES

To celebrate the grand opening of new stores in Friona, Hereford and Azle, Texas, Allsup’s convenience stores’ owner Yesway donated $1,250 each to the Friona Volunteer Fire Department, the Friona Police Department, the Hereford Food Pantry, the Hereford Police Department, the Azle Police Department, the Azle Fire Department and EMS, and the Azle Independent School District.

GATE FOUNDATION SUPPORTS JDRF

The GATE Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Jacksonville-based GATE Petroleum Company, has raised $30,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Funds were raised in GATE convenience stores in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina through the company’s semiannual paper icon campaign.

Between May 1 and May 21,customers could donate $1 and sign their name on a JDR paper icon displayed in the GATE store. Customers could also donate by rounding up their purchase to the nearest dollar. Funds were allocated to local JDRF chapters.

“We are very grateful to GATE customers for supporting our fundraising efforts for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation,” said Kathy Brady, executive director of the GATE Foundation. “Raising $30,000 in just three weeks is a testament to their generosity.”

RUTTER’S GOLF EVENT

RAISES $730,000 Rutter’s nonprofit Rutter’s Children’s Charities raised more than $730,000 through its 20th annual charity golf outing to support Rutter’s Children’s Charities’ various giving programs and initiatives throughout 2022. The amount is the largest the nonprofit has raised at the outing since its inception.

“We’re very appreciative to Rutter’s suppliers and partners for their remarkable support of Rutter’s Children’s Charities’ 20th annual outing,” said Chris Hartman, president of Rutter’s Children’s Charities. “As always, all of their generous contributions will help benefit local children and charitable organizations throughout our communities.”

This year, the event was held at the Country Club of York, located in York, Pennsylvania, and included more than 140 different vendors, suppliers and partners. The annual two-day golf event began in 2003 and has helped Rutter’s and Rutter’s Children’s Charities raise more than $10 million to support local children’s charities in Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia over the past 20 years.

SOCIAL SHARES

NACS encourages retailers to share their giving-back news on social media using #ConvenienceCares.