Posted on June 16, 2023 by Heather Adams

GIANT, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful® Award 23 Community Improvement Grants

by The GIANT Company

GIANT, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful® Award 23 Community Improvement Grants

$300,000 in funding towards projects focused on food waste prevention, reduction and recovery

The GIANT Company in partnership with Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, Thursday announced the 23 recipients of its 2023 Healing the Planet grant program. Announced earlier this year, $300,000 in funding was awarded in support of projects that address food waste prevention, reduction, and recovery across The GIANT Company’s operating area. The recipients were announced at an event today at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa., which received $20,000 to complete an anaerobic digester project for conversion of community food waste and dairy manure into biogas and grid-tied electricity.

“As a grocer, we understand the choices we make and the steps we take to divert food waste from landfills are crucial in helping to heal our planet,” said Jessica Groves, community impact manager, The GIANT Company. “What we are doing to reduce food waste now, whether it’s the projects of our 23 Healing the Planet grant awardees, or through our daily operations, will create a more sustainable tomorrow for us all.”

Grants range from $2,500 up to $20,000. Projects located in The GIANT Company’s operating areas within Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, or West Virginia were eligible. Funding for the grants was provided by customers at GIANT, MARTIN’S and GIANT Heirloom Market stores who rounded up their grocery purchase to the nearest dollar from March through May, which raised a total of $1.4 million for program partners which also included Rodale Institute® and Planet Bee Foundation®.

The following Pennsylvania organizations are the recipients of a 2023 Healing the Planet grant from The GIANT Company and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful:

“On behalf of Dickinson College and the farm, we are grateful to The GIANT Company and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful for their support of our food waste to energy initiative,” said Matt Steiman, energy & livestock manager, Dickinson College. “This project will benefit farmers, the watershed and our climate. We are elated and look forward to working with these local partners to make our community more sustainable.”

All funded projects address food waste prevention, reduction and or recovery and can include community composting, increased access to compost for agricultural producers, educational programs regarding food waste prevention, reduction and recovery and diversion of food waste from landfills. Community gardens are eligible for funding but must have a food waste prevention, reduction and or recovery component, such as education.

Since 2021, the Healing the Planet grant program has awarded more than $1.3 million to 110 recipients for projects connecting communities to green spaces and improved or helped to protect local waterways and water resources.

“Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is proud to support the many organizations, schools and cities who are using and creating inventive ways to assure food waste is being prevented, reduced and recovered,” said Shannon Reiter, president, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. “Not only do these types of projects save natural resources and reduce the amount of material that enters the waste stream, in some cases, they will also provide food security to those in need. We are honored to continue our partnership with The GIANT Company to provide opportunities to make a difference in the efficiencies of food waste within Pennsylvania communities. We also want to thank all of you who ‘rounded up’ at the register. Your generosity will directly impact your local community.”

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful has supported community improvement initiatives and encouraged community leadership, responsibility, and a respect for the environment since 1990. Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, a state affiliate of Keep American Beautiful, Inc. has more than 30 years of experience in organizing volunteer-driven community improvement events. Visit keeppabeautiful.org for more information on programs or to find an event near you.

To learn more about The GIANT Company’s commitment to Healing Our Planet, visit giantfoodstores.com/pages/our-purpose.

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