Education is one of the focus areas of our philanthropy, and we did a lot to support local school districts and students this month.
Several of our locations participated in school supply drives to ensure students had what they needed to start the fall semester. We also continue to donate food and sponsor events to support nonprofits.
School Supply Donations
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This year, we held what we hope to be the first of many company-wide Back to School Supply Drives. The effort supported communities across our locations. Many distribution centers partnered with local charities to ensure our donations got in the hands of students. Dot Foods Mt. Sterling teamed up with the Mt. Sterling Community Center YMCA, which our co-founders Robert and Dorothy Tracy were instrumental in building.
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Dot Foods Delaware was the lead sponsor and organizer of the 2021 Back to School Bash at the New Castle County Hope Center, Inc. We solicited volunteers, including some of our own employees, to help serve meals to over 300 residents and donate over 160 stuffed backpacks. We also supplied Dot Foods onesies and a car seat to the youngest resident of the housing project.
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Dot Foods Tennessee donated about 500 pounds of school supplies through the Back to School Supply Drive. At the end of July, supplies were divided among multiple school districts, including Dyersburg, Dyer County, and Lake County.
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The Idaho Diversity Champions put together a Back to School Drive to help provide teachers with classroom supplies. Dot Foods Idaho employees joined together to raise funds to provide 31 baskets filled with disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer, kleenex, and markers.
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Dot Foods Chicago donated school supplies to the University Park school district and provided toiletry kits to the Crete-Monee school district.
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Beyond Housing held a back-to-school event to provide free backpacks and school supplies. Dot Foods St. Louis donated over $300 worth of food and packaging for lunch at the event.
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Fuel Ardmore held their 15th annual Stuff the Backpack Drive. With help from Dot Foods Oklahoma, it was their most successful school supply drive to date.
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Dot Foods Indiana donated Kindles to the Richmond Community Schools as part of their summer incentive contest.
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Employees from Dot Foods St. Louis volunteered one of their Saturday mornings to help put together kits of pens, pencils, hygiene products, socks, and food for local students through the Little Bit Foundation.
Other Activities
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Our companywide Alzheimer’s Association fundraising campaign ended in July, but we never stop supporting this organization. Dot Foods Tennessee held their sixth annual trivia night fundraiser earlier this month, raising $20,000 in donations.
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Dot Foods New York donated over $17,500 worth of excess product to the Southwest Community Center, Fulton Alliance Church, Erin’s Angels, and the Samaritan Center.
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Dot Foods Idaho donated $1,500 to sponsor Rim2Rim, a race benefitting Habitat for Humanity of the Magic Valley.
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Dot Foods Idaho also pitched in nearly $1,000 to three different golf tournaments for the Minidoka Health Care Foundation, Burley FFA Alumni, and Burley Kiwanis Club.