Community Service Spotlight: 7-Eleven Inc., CITGO & EG America

Parker's Kitchen, PepsiCo and Stewart's Shops, among others, also gave back to their communities.

12/8/2023

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:

7-Eleven and Children's Miracle Network banner

7-Eleven Inc.

7-Eleven Inc. launched a year-end fundraising campaign to support Children's Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals.

From now until Jan. 9, 2024, guests at participating 7-Eleven, Speedway and Stripes stores, as well as customers using the 7NOW Delivery app, can round up their purchase at checkout or donate $1 to help support 107 CMN member hospitals in communities across the country.

Customers will also have the option to donate directly to Children's Miracle Network Hospitals online and select their local member hospital for their donation.

"After an incredible summer where nearly $3 million was raised at our annual Miracle Tournament and Celebration Dinner and the launch of our Cleat Crew auctions this fall, we're excited to continue the momentum of our 2023 fundraising campaigns with an in-store fundraising opportunity this holiday season," said Marissa Jarratt, executive vice president, chief marketing and sustainability officer at 7-Eleven.

Since 1991, 7-Eleven has raised more than $170 million on behalf of CMN Hospitals, including $19 million in 2022 alone.

CITGO PETREOLUM CORP.

CITGO recently awarded 43 grants totaling more than $1.6 million to fund projects within two signature programs: CITGO Caring for Our Coast and STEM Talent Pipeline.

The Coast program helps protect vulnerable coastal and inland habitats through restoration, educational and volunteer efforts, while the Talent Pipeline program aims to increase access to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) related educational opportunities by supporting and encouraging students to pursue a career in STEM.

The 2023 CITGO Caring for Our Coast grantees were:

Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program
Coastal Conservation Association Louisiana
Friends of Padre Inc.
Galveston Bay Foundation
Gulf of Mexico Alliance
Houston Audubon
Houston Parks Board
National Recreation and Park Association
Restore America's Estuaries
Tampa Bay Watch
The Artist Boat
The Conservation Foundation
The Nature Conservancy of Louisiana

The 2023 CITGO STEM Talent Pipeline Program grantees included:

CITGO Innovation Academies, which give students access to STEM-based curriculum, resources and scholarships
Houston ISD Foundation
University of Houston - Downtown
SpringSpirit
Spring Branch Education Foundation
Girlstart
Will County District 92
YMCA of Greater Houston
Houston Community College Foundation
Lockport SD 91
Del Mar College Foundation
Ocean Exploration Trust
McNeese State University Foundation
Valley View School District 365
Science Buddies
FIRST in Texas
Learning Undefeated Inc.

EG America

EG America raised $520,000 for United Way as part of its fundraising campaign for Hunger Action Month.

Throughout the month of September, guests donated $1, $5 or an amount of their choosing during checkout when they visited any of EG America's more than 1,600 stores nationwide, including Cumberland Farms, Fastrac, Kwik Shop, Certified Oil, Turkey Hill, Loaf 'N Jug, Minit Mart, Quik Stop, Sprint Food Stores and Tom Thumb.

Donations will be used to support United Way and its mission to provide meals to families in need across the country.

Greater Houston Retailers Cooperative Association

The Greater Houston Retailers Cooperative Association (GHRA), in collaboration with Arca Continental Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages, made a $40,000 donation to the Houston Food Bank as part of the ABC13 Share Your Holidays annual campaign. The donation was split evenly between the two organizations.

GHRA's board of directors made the commitment to the Houston Food Bank to support communities where the association's members, employees and customers work and live. According to Houston Food Bank Chief Development Officer Amy Ragan, the contribution will fund 120,000 meals.

The commitment to the Houston Food Bank was originally announced on Sept. 28 at the grand opening of the new Kudos convenience store in Huntsville, Texas.

The GHRA is also planning a volunteer day at the food bank during the 2023 winter holiday season.

Parker's Kitchen

Parker's Kitchen recently made two major donations to support education throughout Georgia and South Carolina as part of the company's Fueling the Community initiative.

First, on Oct. 23, the company's 11th Annual Fueling the Community Charity Golf Tournament at The Landings in Savannah, Ga., helped raise a record $328,000 to support both public and private schools in the communities the company serves.

More than 270 golfers teed off on the Magnolia and Marshwood championship courses at The Landings for the popular scramble-format tournament. In 2022, Parker's Kitchen expanded the tournament's field of play across two courses to meet the overwhelming popularity of the charity event, which has sold out every year since its inception.

Parker's Kitchen also made a record $100,000 donation to the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System in Savannah on Nov. 14.

"We're incredibly proud to be headquartered in Savannah and recognize that by investing in education, we're supporting the growth of future leaders right here in our community," said Parker's founder and CEO Greg Parker. "The Parker's Kitchen Fueling the Community program underscores our longtime commitment to education, which is truly the tide that lifts all ships."

The Fueling the Community charitable initiative donates a percentage of gas sold at all Parker's and Parker's Kitchen locations on the first Wednesday of each month to area schools. Since the program's inception in 2011, the company has given more than $2 million to area schools.

PepsiCo Inc.

As part of PepsiCo's ongoing efforts to support and elevate historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU), the company will be providing $250,000 in grants towards tackling food insecurity at HBCU campuses.

Five universities will receive $50,000 each: Morgan State University, Prairie View A&M University, Florida A&M University, Jackson State University and Bethune-Cookman University.

The grants were designed to support each campus's unique efforts to help the more than 37,500 students that struggle to balance the cost of their education and their next meal. The funds will be used to expand food pantry capacities, provide students with stipends for meals, and help students with the long-term skills needed to avoid the pitfalls of food insecurity in the future, such as workshops on meal plans and cooking.

Shell plc

Shell plc entered into a new collaboration with Meals on Wheels America in order to address hunger among seniors during the Thanksgiving season.

Through Nov. 23, Shell donated 1 cent to Meals on Wheels for each gallon of gas purchased at Shell by Fuel Rewards members with Platinum status, up to $200,000.

Approximately 10 million seniors experience food insecurity, with many at greater risk of malnutrition due to decreased appetite, mobility issues and a myriad of other factors. Approximately half of seniors live alone, and those on fixed incomes can be especially vulnerable, according to the company.

"Shell is proud to support Meals on Wheels America because we're inspired by and believe in its mission to ensure no one is left hungry," said Renée Power, general manager of mobility marketing, North America, Shell US. "As our most loyal customers, we want Fuel Rewards members with Platinum status to have an easy way to give back to their community through the simple act of filling up."

This was the first community outreach initiative that Platinum members were invited to participate in. Launched earlier this summer in conjunction with PDI Technologies, the new Platinum tier served as the next evolution in Shell's loyalty program after the success of the company's Gold status tier.

Stewart's Shops

On Thanksgiving Day, Stewart's Shops launched its 37th annual Holiday Match Program, which benefits local charities and programs that serve kids under the age of 18. This can include areas such as social services, health, education, recreation programs and the arts.

The chain will match 100% of all donations. The program runs through Christmas Day (Dec. 25).

In 2022 alone, Stewart's raised more than $2 million for 1,939 local nonprofits.

New York-based nonprofit 501(c)3 organizations interested in receiving Holiday Match funding can apply here through Jan. 31, 2024. Schools, churches and town municipalities with programs benefiting children are also eligible to apply. Applications are reviewed before allocations are made in March.