The GIANT Company Donates $150,000 to Local Blue Ridge Area Food Bank Operations

On Tuesday afternoon, October 17, in conjunction with its 100th anniversary celebration, the GIANT Company donated $100,000 (plus another $50,000 it turned out) to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank’s Partner Impact & Innovation Grants program, which supports the agency’s partners with equipment and supplies to ensure safely preserved food distribution to those in need.

MARTIN’S team members were also slated to spend time that day volunteering at First Baptist Church in downtown Front Royal, where the presentation occurred. Their announced duties included preparing dinner for community members. First Baptist Church is a recent recipient of a Partner Impact & Innovation Grant to install a new walk-in freezer for expanded community support,” according to a release by the GIANT Company about the event.

Royal Examiner arrived to see the official presentation – which included the extra $50,000 to the original press release-cited $100,000, and speak to involved officials about the GIANT/Martins, Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, First Baptist Church partnership in the Town of Front Royal and Warren County.

In front of the grant-enabled, newly acquired walk-in freezer, Martins associates in red and black T-shirts flank, from center right, Martins Regional Director Luke Dreese (sleeveless vest), Blue Ridge Area Food Bank Director of Development & Community Engagement Millie Winstead, First Baptist Pastor Christy McMillin-Goodwin, and Lynn Downes, Program Director of ‘Dinners Together’. Congratulations to all, this is what positive community partnering looks like. And it may be GIANTS 100th anniversary, but that check DOES say $150,000.

“We are proud that this year is our 100th anniversary of the GIANT Company. And we’re also proud of the fact that we are a purpose-led organization, connecting families to a better future,” Martins Regional Director Luke Dreese told us, observing of that better future, “Part of that is food security. Food security is out there every day, so whether we serve customers in the store or off the shelf, or we partner with great organizations like the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, we believe everybody deserves that access to food. And so we’re very proud to be able to donate this $150,000 to the Blue Ridge Food Bank and the programs that will extend nutritious foods, protein, produce to the local community.”

“We’re all about community, and this is a wonderful example of how when community partners come together, we are stronger together,” Millie Winstead, Director of Development and Community Engagement with the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank told us. “And so we’ve got this fantastic partner in First Baptist Church and “Dinners Together”, the program they’ve built with the surrounding churches in the area. And then Martins is helping us and them to improve that program and grow and be stronger and be ready to serve more and more of the community through our Partner Impact & Innovation Grants. They donated $150,000 to that initiative. And through that we were able to provide this program a brand new walk-in freezer, so that they can have the proteins, the more nutritious foods to provide to the community.”

Winstead added that, “In previous years (First Baptist) received freezers and refrigerators and shelving and other items to build the program. But the program has grown so much that they needed an additional freezer. This is something that we’re seeing across our entire 25-county service area. All of our partners are seeing increase in demand. And we need to be here to prepare them and stand along side them and make sure that they have what they need to serve the community.”

First Baptist Pastor Christy McMillin-Goodwin, left, and Blue Ridge Area Food Bank rep Millie Winstead are all smiles at the walk-in freezer that will enable larger amounts of nutritious foods to be stored to accommodate increased demand for access to local food assistance. And below, involved partners examine the walk-in freezer where supplies are already being stored. For info on accessing the food assistance program visit the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank website at Don’t have a computer? Try your friendly Samuels Public Library for computer access.

Blue Ridge Area Food Bank Communications and Public Relations Manager Les Sinclair concurred with Winstead’s standing stronger together observation. “Millie can speak to their partnership,” Sinclair said of the GIANT/MARTINS contributions, noting, “They’ve donated hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of our partnership.”

“They’ve partnered with us for many, many years. And, in fact, have provided over half a million dollars during our partnership. But also 2.3-million pounds of food that they donate directly,” Winstead added on Sinclair’s prompt. “And then their team members, Martins employees come out and volunteer with us all the time and have provided countless numbers of hours too. So, they are giving back to the community in a variety of ways. And we are so incredibly grateful for their partnership.”

First Baptist Pastor Christy McMillin-Goodwin also addressed the increased demand theme speaking to those contributors present. “I think once more of the government SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as Food Stamps) money disappeared we’ve definitely seen more families that are coming, more working families with children coming to get meals. We have senior adults come through on fixed incomes who need a little extra help. We do serve a number of folks with mental health issues. And then we do have a number of folks who are un-housed, we also serve here. So, it’s a variety of people … I think a lot of the people who come for the hot meals is a way to just make ends meet,” Pastor McMillin-Goodwin said of segments of the local population being served by the multi-pronged alliance present at First Baptist Church Tuesday afternoon, October 17, 2023.

The pastor gave a special nod to the GIANT/MARTINS contingent present for their invaluable contribution over the years, before suggesting a change of location for the small group gathered in a kitchen area of the church’s Fellowship Center with a door to the parking lot open: “I think we’re in the way. They’re trying to bring in some food … and we don’t want to be in the way,” the pastor observed, drawing some laughter. It was a lighter moment punctuating her heartfelt appreciation to the GIANT/MARTINS contingent present that day, adding significantly to the church and food banks operation financially, with food supplies, and volunteer hours to be put in later in the day as the dinner hour approached.

For additional information on the local Blue Ridge Area Food Bank assistance program, access their website at <www.BRAFB.org> Need a computer to do so? Try your friendly Samuels Public Library for computer access.

Pastor McMillin-Goodwin and Martins Luke Dreese in the First Baptist Fellowship Area kitchen among some previously acquired equipment acquired with grant and donation funding. In sequence below, it looks like some supplies are already inside. But with more on the way in, perhaps we should move this discussion group out of the way … And that looks like a wrap.