Community Service Spotlight: CITGO, EG Group & Kum & Go

CITGO

In the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia, CITGO made a direct donation of $100,000 to national social impact organization SBP to support its disaster assistance and recovery trainings programs.

The funds will also be used to help Floridians recover from the storm's impact in the region.

"All of us at CITGO are proud to do our part alongside SBP to assist Floridians affected by Hurricane Idalia," said CITGO President and CEO Carlos Jordá. "Many are facing very challenging circumstances in the aftermath of the storm, and we are pleased to be able to lend a helping hand."

SBP's disaster assistance program helps ensure disaster victims receive maximum Federal Emergency Management Agency support in the wake of the storm's damage. The group's recovery trainings program provides practical webinars and in-person training to share best practices with nongovernmental organizations and storm survivors.

EG Group

In recognition of Hunger Action Month in September, EG America launched an in-store fundraising campaign on behalf of the United Way and its network of more than 1,800 local nonprofit fundraising affiliates. 

Throughout the month, guests were encouraged to donate a dollar amount of their choosing at any of EG America's 1,700 convenience store locations. Participating brands included Cumberland Farms, Certified Oil, Fastrac, Kwik Shop, Loaf N' Jug, Minit Mart, Quik Stop, Sprint, Tom Thumb and Turkey Hill.

All in-store guest donations will be used to support the charity's mission to provide meals to families in need across the country. 

The campaign was the fourth annual fundraiser between EG America and United Way, with each year's event focusing on a different issue at the core of the latter's mission of service.

"Hunger is as pervasive as ever, and we're proud to support the United Way's efforts to address this critical issue," said Nick Unkovic, president of EG America.

Kum & Go

Kum & Go partnered with Pepsi Beverages North America to raise more than $37,000 for the annual Gallons for Growth cause marketing campaign.

[Read more: Kum & Go Recognized for Digital Excellence]

The companies raised the funds by donating 5 cents from every 20-ounce bottle of Pepsi sold over the course of a month and 5 cents from every gallon of gas sold on a designated day. The money was then distributed to various nonprofits in participating markets. 

This year's nonprofit partners were:

• Foundation for Springfield Public Schools (Springfield, Mo.)
• Northwest Arkansas Children's Shelter (Washington and Benton Counties, Ark.)
• Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma (Tulsa, Okla.)
• Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas (Jonesboro, Ark.)
• LIFT-UP (Garfield County, Colo.)

Kum & Go's Gallons for Growth campaign launched in 2010 in Springfield. Over the past 13 years, the campaign has expanded to include additional markets and the partnership with Pepsi.

Parker's Kitchen

Over the course of the summer and into September, Parker's Kitchen made several donations to organizations that support their local communities.

In honor of Hunger Action Month, the company ran a round-up campaign that raised money for several food banks and organizations that serve and help support food insecure individuals and families throughout the South. With money raised through the campaign, Parker's donated $135,000 to the Lowcountry Food Bank, which operates across 10 counties in coastal South Carolina, and $107,000 to America's Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia, a nonprofit organization based in Savannah, Ga., that serves a 21-county area. 

On Sept. 27, Parker's made an additional donation of $1 million to Second Harvest to support the nonprofit's new 143,000-square-foot facility in Savannah. 

Additionally, the convenience store chain donated $75,000 to the Beaufort County School District as part of its Fueling the Community program, which 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. The donation will help support the district's annual "Support Person of the Year" recognition program.

PIM Brands Inc.

In August, PIM Brands Inc., maker of Welch's Fruit Snacks, launched Give Fruitfully, a new campaign and corporate social responsibility platform designed to support and give back to communities in need. 

As part of the program, the brand donated tens of thousands of dollars to help 250 teachers across the United States.

Joining in on the viral #ClearTheList movement on social media, PIM Brands aimed to alleviate the financial burden on teachers by helping to purchase their classroom supplies and snacks, including a 40-count box of Welch's Fruit Snacks with every list cleared. 

Between Aug. 28 and Sept. 10, teachers could apply at GiveFruitfully.com, where they could enter their contact information and a link to their classroom wish lists for a chance to have it cleared. Once the entry window closed, 250 teachers were selected at random to each receive up to $250 worth of school supplies and snacks from their list. 

The Spinx Co.

The Spinks Family Foundation awarded $512,000 in grants to local nonprofit organizations throughout North Carolina and South Carolina.

[Read more: The Spinx Co. Recognized as Top Workplace] 

After the foundation opened its doors to grant proposals in March, it received 22 applications and awarded 16 organizations with funds to support their work in communities where The Spinx Co. operates.

"We are incredibly humbled by the dedication and passion demonstrated by the many nonprofit organizations in our communities," said Stewart Spinks, founder of Spinx. "The Spinks Family Foundation is honored to support these organizations and their missions to make our communities better places to live and work."

These organizations included Camperdown Academy, Compass of the Carolina, The Courage Center, FAVOR Upstate, First Impression of SC, Furman University, Greenville Airport Commission, Greenville County Schools-ACE Awards, Greenville Technical Charter High School, Greenville Tech Foundation, The Phoenix-Stand Together, Project Host, The Salvation Army and the YMCA of Greenville.

The organization also provided gifts to the Community Foundation, Unity Park Bridge and United Way.

The foundation accepts large gift requests of $10,000 and above once a year during the month of March. The application period will open again on March 1, 2024. 

United Supermarkets LLC

The United Family and its vendor partners raised $500,000 for 26 nonprofit organizations through its annual Jacky Pierce Charity Classic (JPCC) golf tournament, which took place on Aug. 27-28.

Named in honor of Jacky Pierce, longtime produce director for United Supermarkets, the tournament consisted of five rounds played by more than 600 golfers from across the country over the course of two days.

"Making a positive impact on our communities is at the heart of our mission and, after all these years, the [JPCC] continues to be a major part of that," said Sidney Hopper, president of The United Family. "The nonprofit organizations, including The United Way, who benefit from this tournament do an outstanding job of making our communities better. We know these funds will greatly impact the thousands of people they serve."

Before the annual dinner on Sunday night, checks were presented to the 26 groups in a recognition event. 

Since its inception in the early 1990s, the JPCC golf tournament has raised more than $6 million for nonprofit organizations across Texas and New Mexico.