Staterbros Charities 2018

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JUNE 2018 • The Shelby Report of the West

The Shelby Report Celebrates the 10th Anniversary of Stater Bros. Charities

Stater Bros. doesn’t just do business in the community…they’re part of the community Jack Brown led the company to do the right thing for the right reason

various events; we’re working with our advertising department to design our marketing materials and event artwork; and we’re working with our retail team to help execute the in-store mobile campaigns.

So, although there is a small Charities department, it is without a doubt a companywide effort that makes everything come together.”

Since 2008, Stater Bros. Charities, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, has provided funding to local organizations and causes that benefit: • Hunger Relief • Children’s Well-Being • Education • Health • Veterans and Active Service Members Nearly 10 years later, the organization has raised more than $24 million to support the needs in the communities Stater Bros. Markets serves.

According to Nancy Negrette, chairman and president of Stater Bros. Charities and senior director for corporate affairs for Stater Bros. Markets, money raised through fundraising events and in-store mobile campaigns stay in the communities where Stater Bros.

Markets operates. These communities are in Southern California’s San Bernardino, Riverside, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego and Nancy Negrette Ventura counties.

Ventura is the newest county, as Stater Bros. opened its first store in Simi Valley—where it had had requests to open a store for years—in August 2016, in a former Haggen store.

“Stater Bros. Charities was established to provide philanthropic support for the communities where our employees live and work. Since then, we’ve donated back to countless organizations,” Negrette said, adding that the funds raised primarily come from “our vendor partners, supplier friends and valued customers.”

Throughout the year, all 171 Stater Bros. stores collect funds through $1, $3 or $5 donation cards and coin canisters at each checkstand. Funds raised during the in-store mobile campaigns benefit local nonprofit organizations that benefit one of the five initiatives. Vendor partners and suppliers support various fundraising events.

Stater Bros.’ longtime late executive chairman Jack H. Brown, who passed away in November 2016, was the one who decided, during The Great Recession, to create Stater Bros. Charities so that worthy organizations would continue to receive funding in spite of the downturn in the economy.

“In 2008, when there were some economic challenges, there were several nonprofit organizations that weren’t receiving the funding that they were used to because a lot of for-profit organizations were cutting back, so that’s when Stater Bros. Charities was established— to help continue to support the nonprofits that needed funding to support their programs and services,” said Negrette, who joined the company nearly six years ago. She joined Stater Bros. Charities initially as a volunteer coordinator, and then became manager and then executive director before being named chairman and president.

The late Jack H. Brown

HUNGER RELIEF

Directing Charities The Stater Bros. Charities board, which recently was expanded to 13 members, comprises Stater Bros. employees from different departments in the corporate office, such as human resources, accounting, retail, distribution, etc. They are heavily involved in determining which programs and services will be supported throughout the year.

Their involvement doesn’t stop with the selection process, though.

“They’ve all been involved with the in-store campaigns and fundraising events,” Negrette said. “We have a very active and engaged board that is not afraid to roll up their sleeves and help out with events.

Most of our board members are the first ones there and the last ones to leave an event.”

New board members are nominated by existing members; the board meets quarterly.

Board members are asked to continually be thinking of or identifying organizations in the community that Stater Bros. Charities can support, Negrette said.

“It may be somewhere they’ve volunteered or they’ve gotten information from a customer in the community. They’re able to share their findings with us to evaluate.”

Those organizations—all of which fall within those five focus areas—are invited to apply for funding on an annual basis.

“Each time a grant application is submitted, we go through the same processes—we ensure that the funding is going towards programs and services, and their program is operating in the areas where we serve,” Negrette said. “We also do a background check through GuideStar to see how the program is using their funds.”

While Negrette is chairman and president of Stater Bros. Charities along with her oversight of the Stater Bros. Markets public relations department, there is a two-person staff—a manager and an assistant—that oversees the day-to-day operations of Charities, whether it’s reviewing grant applications or planning and executing the campaigns and fundraising events, Negrette said.

“Companywide we come together as a team to execute the various campaigns and fundraising events throughout the year,” Negrette said.“We’re working with our distribution center to get product or food pulled; we’re working with our transportation department to ensure product, supplies and food get delivered to organizations or event sites; we’re working with our marketing department to foster our vendor and supplier relationships; we’re working with our accounting department to oversee our financials; we’re working with our human resources department to get volunteers for the

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The months of November and December are dedicated specifically to hunger relief, working with local food pantries and food banks. More than $700,000 annually is donated to local food banks through these end-of-the-year efforts.

During those months, Stater Bros. Markets conducts the “Harvesting Hope” campaign. Stores offer customers four ways to help their friends and neighbors in need.

“Bag of Hope” donation cards: These cards are available for purchase at each checkstand.

Funds collected through the donation cards provide fresh and healthy food and funding to Stater Bros.’ food bank partners and holiday campaign beneficiaries. For a $5 donation, customers can donate $12 retail of fresh and healthy food to the food banks. The money raised from the cards is donated during the summertime, when food bank reserves are low, Negrette said. “Children are out of school, so they’re not getting the meals through the free or reduced price lunch program. We donate fresh and healthy food items as well as money during the summertime to sustain the food banks in our community.”

Nonperishable food donations: Food donation barrels also are available at all store locations for those customers who want to donate nonperishable food items. Most-needed items include canned tuna, peanut butter, canned vegetables, canned fruit (in water or light syrup) and whole grain cereal.

Coin canisters: Money collected through the coin canisters at each checkstand during November and December support low-income seniors, veterans, families and children in need. Stater Bros.

Charities presents these funds to qualified food banks and feeding programs in Stater Bros.’ sevencounty operating area.

Salvation Army Red Kettles: The kettles are set up in front of all Stater Bros. supermarkets from midNovember until just before Christmas, collecting nickels, dimes and quarters to help those who are most vulnerable in the community where the donations are made.

“Stater Bros. has always believed in not just doing business in the community but being part of the community, In January 2018, Stater Bros. Charities donated 60,000 and we are proud to partner with area meals—valued at $20,000—to the Second Harvest food banks and local nonprofit agencies Food Bank of Orange County. to serve the needs of our local communities,” said Pete Van Helden, president and CEO of Stater Bros. Markets, prior to the 2017 campaign.

Annual food drive partners and holiday campaign beneficiaries include Community Action Partnership–Kern County, Desert Manna, Feeding America Serving Riverside San Bernardino Counties, FIND Food Bank, Inland Empire Desert Communities United Way, Inland Harvest Food Bank, Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, San Diego Food Bank and The Salvation Army.

CHILDREN’S WELL-BEING

Stater Bros. Charities partners with the United States Marine Corps. Toys for Tots program during

Stater Bros. President and CEO Pete Van Helden (center) and Stater team members present the company’s 2017 donation to members of the U.S. Marine Corps for their Toys for Tots drive.

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From page 28 the holiday season.

“We partner with our vendors—national brands as well as our store brands—and those funds are directly donated to the Toys for Tots program,” Negrette said. “We’ve expanded our reach so that we cover the areas served by Stater Bros. Markets and, to date, we have donated over $510,000 towards the Toys for Tots program to help underserved children for whom this is probably the only gift that they would receive during the holiday season.”

Stater Bros. Charities also supports Santa Claus Inc. in San Bernardino through a coat drive at Stater Bros. corporate offices as well as monetary funding. Though it sounds like a holiday-only cause, Santa Claus Inc. provides clothing to children year-round. It partners with school counselors to identify kids who are in need of clothing throughout the school year.

It also provides birthday packs “for kids who maybe wouldn’t be able to have a birthday party,” she said. The packs feature cake mix and candles, a gift and some party decorations.

Santa Claus Inc. also has a close partnership with law enforcement to identify homeless families with children.

“Hotel vouchers are provided to these families so they are able to sleep in a warm bed, take a shower and have access to social programs that are available for assistance,” Negrette said, adding that Stater Bros. supports various organizations that are devoted to helping the homeless.

Stater Bros. has partnered with Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital for 14 years through the Stater Bros. Charities K-Froggers For Kids Radiothon. The radiothon benefits children battling cancer at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital Unit 4800, which is dedicated to providing the highest level of care for children suffering from leukemia, brain tumors and blood-related diseases. Funds support programs that address the critical needs of these children and their families. The Stater Bros.

Charities K-Froggers for Kids Radiothon has raised more than $5 million to date.

Negrette noted that the funds are used to fulfill wish lists.

“The funds could be used to provide Christmas or birthday presents for the patients; sleeper sofas for parents who need to stay with the children for multiple days, weeks, months. It provides items such as iPads for the kids so that’s there’s some type of distraction as they’re going through treatment. The funds also support the Stater Bros. Charities Activity Center. Children undergoing treatment are unable Volunteers at the 2017 radiothon. to go to the movie theater, so they’ll set up a movie night and provide popcorn and snacks. It’s another way to support the children in our community.”

Stater Bros. Charities also is proud to support Angel Flight West, a volunteer-driven organization that arranges free non-emergency air travel for children and adults with serious medical conditions and other compelling needs. Angel Flight West’s network of more than 1,400 pilots throughout the 13 western states donate their aircraft, piloting skills and all flying costs to help families in need, enabling them to receive vital treatment that might otherwise be inaccessible because of financial, medical or geographic limitations.

Angel Flight West also support flights for children going to camps for a variety of special needs, including burn survivors, children with diabetes, families impacted by HIV or AIDS, and children who are cancer patients or cancer survivors.

Stater Bros. Charities also supports City of Hope’s annual Angels Fashion Show and foster childrencentered organizations Olive Crest and Children’s Fund.

EDUCATION

Stater Bros. Charities works with local Rotary Clubs to provide dictionaries and thesauruses to school kids. The effort started in just San Bernardino schools but now has grown to support school districts from Palm Springs to Orange County, Negrette said.

“Every third-grader is provided with a dictionary or, if they’re at an older grade level, a thesaurus,” she said. “The Rotary Clubs are the ones who organize the dictionary project, identify the schools, work with the teachers and distribute the dictionaries to the kids.”

She said that although schools say they are going to electronic books, the Rotary Clubs still give out printed editions.

“There are a lot of schools that are not using electronic tablets, or if they are using electronic tablets, the children may not have access to Wi-Fi at home to complete their homework,” she said.

“When we’ve gone to these dictionary distributions, the kids are so excited because for some of them this is the first book they’ve ever owned. It is really exciting to see the program continue to expand.”

At the post-graduate level, the company offers scholarships at California State University-San Bernardino (CSUSB), whose business school is the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration. Scholarships in honor of Jack H. Brown, his mother Rose Brown, Stater Bros. Executive Vice President Emeritus Richard C. Moseley (who passed away in 2005 at age 75 with more than 52 years of service to the Stater Bros. Family), Stater Bros. executive Michael T. Slaton Sr. (who passed away in 2013 at age 51 and was a CSUSB graduate) and the Food Industry Sales Association are presented by the university.

HEALTH

Stater Bros. Charities holds two in-store mobile campaigns a year. During those campaigns, customers can purchase $1 and $5 mobiles to benefit the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) and/ or the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).

All 171 of the company’s stores participate in the campaigns.

President and CEO Pete Van Helden and Stater team members In early 2018, for the 17th proudly display this year’s donation total to the American Heart consecutive year, all Stater Bros.

Association/American Stroke Association.

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JUNE 2018 • The Shelby Report of the West

stores participated in the AHA/ASA “Life Is Why We Give” campaign to raise funds in the fight against heart disease and stroke. The campaign, which concluded Feb. 18, raised and donated $390,691 to AHA/ASA. That significantly exceeded the $316,000 raised in 2017.

During that campaign, $1 and $5 paper hearts were sold at the registers. Customers were encouraged to write their name or the name of a loved one on the hearts, which were displayed inside the store.

Funds raised are used to teach hands-only CPR, involve students in fitness programs and implement educational programs in multicultural communities.

Overall, Stater Bros. has raised more than $5.4 million over the years to support heart disease and stroke prevention programs.

Negrette said, “Many of our valued customers and loyal ‘family’ members have been affected by heart disease and stroke, and we are pleased that the funds from this campaign benefit the local areas where we operate.”

Matt Webb, chairman of the AHA Inland Empire board of directors, said, “Our work would not be possible without the generous support of committed companies like Stater Bros. Charities who provide donation opportunities to their customers.These corporate citizens provide a force multiplying impact to our work and help us get ever closer to a world without needless suffering or death.”

The mission of the LLS is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.

Stater Bros. Charities partners with LLS to support access to treatments for Southern California blood cancer patients. Funds raised through the in-store campaign benefit the Patient Travel Assistance Program in Southern California, which helps blood cancer patients who have significant financial need and cannot afford travel expenses to doctor appointments and treatment centers. Stater Bros. customers and employees have raised more than $3.6 million for LLS to date.

Each October is the Believe Walk (right), which benefits cancer patients in the grocer’s communities. Held in downtown Redlands, this past October’s event was the 10th one. Over those walks, “we have raised over $4.1 million towards programs and services” for cancer patients, Negrette said.

Organizations that receive funds from the Believe Walk include Loma Linda University Cancer Center; Redlands Community Hospital; Michelle’s Place in Temecula; The Pink Ribbon Place in Riverside; OASIS (Ovarian, Awareness, Support, Involvement & Survivorship); and St. Bernardine Medical Center. Funds support programs, services and medical equipment.

The Walk’s support has allowed Loma Linda University Cancer Center to serve not just cancer patients in Loma Linda and the surrounding areas, “but cancer patients from Los Angeles County, Orange County, the High Desert and the Low Desert,” Negrette said.

It’s a resource center for those who are undergoing treatment or have been recently diagnosed.

It offers information on how to navigate through cancer—“the medical appointments, finding financial assistance programs, therapy support programs, nutritionists, gas cards to get to treatment, even providing wigs free of charge for women who’ve lost their hair from chemotherapy treatments,” she added. “The Cancer Center in Loma Linda continues to make a positive impact in those that are going through a very difficult time in their life. Not only do they help the cancer patients but they support their caregivers and the patient’s family.”

VETERANS AND ACTIVE SERVICE MEMBERS

The Jack H. Brown Heroes Challenge Golf Tournament, which was known as the Dave Stockton Heroes Challenge for the first 10 years, is held in March. Funds from this event go to veterans and active service members.

Each year, an awards banquet is held the night before the golf tournament to honor persons and organizations that are making a positive impact in the community, according to Negrette.

“Last year at the awards banquet we did a name reveal, so 2018 will be the first Stater Bros. Charities Jack H. Brown Heroes Challenge in honor of Mr. Brown,” she said. A highlight of the invitation-only event is that Medal of Honor recipients are in attendance; several golf professionals also support the event.

The golf tournament has raised more than $5 million since its inception, she said.

With vendor partner support, Stater Bros. Charities has purchased seven 12-passenger transport vans for the VA Medical Center in Loma Linda. These transport vans (left) are used up to 16 hours a day to transport veterans in outlying areas to doctor’s appointments, to deliver much needed medical equipment to veterans’ homes and to help veterans with errands such as grocery shopping.

Stater Bros. Charities also supports the Bob Hope USO, which provides USO services, programming and outreach at six centers it operates at LAX, Ontario International Airport, Orange County at John Wayne Airport, Palm Springs International Airport, Military Entrance Processing Station Los Angeles and at March ARB Deployment Center.

In addition, 2018 marks the fourth year of “Operation Community Cares,” which sends out care packages to local deployed service members from the area, Negrette said.

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and their Clients salute

for their continued philanthropy

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From page 30 On Saturday, June 2, on the Stater Bros. campus, Charities will hold its care package packing event.

“We have more than 200 Stater Bros. Family members, vendor partners and supplier friends that will come out and help pack care packages,” she said. “Each care package includes snack items, toiletries, magazines, and game books. We partner with vendors to get some of the product donated, and we also purchase product specifically for the boxes.”

More than 1,000 packages have been sent each year thus far. Negrette noted that Stater Bros. customers can submit names and addresses for specific service members and “we will personally address them to those service members.”

These packages have elicited emails and photos from the recipients, thanking Stater Bros. for thinking of them.

“In 2016, we sent 277 care packages to the USS BOXER (LHD 4) and the commanding officer sent a personal thank you note to Mr. Brown to say the care package contents had all the right items his sailors needed and enjoyed receiving a little piece of home. The commanding officer also thanked Stater Bros. for the support we provide our military forces.”

Kids from local schools write letters and/or jokes and draw pictures for the service members to make the care packages even more personal.

Also to show support for veterans, Stater Bros. Charities supports the West Coast Thunder Memorial Day Bike Run, the largest motorcycle run on the West Coast, drawing more than 7,500 riders each year.

This is the fourth year Stater Bros. is the presenting sponsor of the event, which benefits the Riverside National Cemetery Support Committee. This year’s event, May 28, is the 19th running of West Coast Thunder.

The ride begins at Riverside Harley-Davidson and passes through the Riverside National Cemetery.

This year, it culminates at the Southern California Fair and Event Center in Perris for a day of musical performances, speakers and an Ultimate Sacrifice Ceremony presented by the West Coast Thunder Color Guard.

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Stater Bros. Charities recently began supporting Wreaths Across America. Each December on National Wreaths Across America Day, their mission to Remember, Honor and Teach is carried out by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies at Riverside National Cemetery by youth program, Civil Air Patrol Squadron 45.

Stater Bros. Charities also supports Homes For Our Troops, an organization that builds specially adapted custom homes for severely injured post-9/11 veterans to enable them to rebuild their lives. Doorways, showers, countertops and other home features are made to fit the veteran’s needs. For the last two homes Stater Bros. has been a part of, vendor partners have stepped in to stock the pantries with food and household supplies.

“When the veteran and their family come home their pantries are stocked with everything from household items to perishable and nonperishable food,” Negrette said. “On the last home build, the family had a dog named Harley, and even Harley had an entire pantry stocked with dog food, treats and toys. It’s remarkable to see our vendor community come together just to help our nation’s heroes. They’re not in it for a big recognition or to have their logo displayed—they’re doing the right thing for the right reason.

“Throughout the year, Stater Bros. Charities supports countless organizations within our initiatives, and it wouldn’t be possible without our valued customers who are making the donations at the registers and our vendor partners and supplier friends supporting the various fundraising events throughout the year,” Negrette said. “The funds are directly impacting our community in a positive way and we are so appreciative of their continued support. It’s an honor to be able to partner with our customers, vendors and suppliers to support the communities we have the privilege of serving.”

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