Press Release
Fred Meyer Coin Box Donations Go To Operation Homefront
7/26/2010
PORTLAND, Ore. – Fred Meyer customer’s donations made through the coin boxes at checkstands will now benefit Idaho military families through Operation Homefront, a support organization for military members and their families. Starting today and running through August 14, 2010, donations made at these coin boxes will be used to directly support programs and services for local troops and their families
Fred Meyer has coin boxes in all its 130 stores throughout Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Idaho that combined generated an average of $10,800 dollars per week in 2009, or more than $500,000. During a two week fundraiser for the American Red Cross Haiti Disaster Relief Fund, Fred Meyer customers raised more than $70,000 in change for the organization.
Additionally, Fred Meyer associate contributions for the quarter to The Fred Meyer Fund will be combined with the change collected through the coin boxes, increasing the donation to Operation Homefront. Based on these figures, the company hopes to raise roughly more than $100,000 for Operation Homefront, which will be earmarked for Idaho military families.
“The generosity of our Customers and Associates who donate their change really makes a difference for local nonprofits,” said Melinda Merrill, public affairs director for Fred Meyer Stores. “We are excited to use those generous donations to partner with Operation Homefront to provide necessary programs and services for our troops and their families.”
Fred Meyer has had coin boxes at its checkstands for more than 10 years, and the money collected in those coin boxes are distributed through the company’s corporate foundation, The Fred Meyer Fund. June 2009 represented the first time the Fund called out a specific organization on the coin boxes, letting customers know exactly where their donated change would be going. Beginning August 15, 2010 through November 6, 2010, coin box donations will benefit local cancer awareness and research organizations.
About Fred Meyer: Fred Meyer Stores, based in Portland, Ore., offers one-stop shopping at its 130 multi-department stores in four western states. Nearly 30,000 Fred Meyer associates help customers fill their food, apparel, and general merchandise needs in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Stores range in size from 65,000 to 200,000 square feet and carry more than 250,000 products under one roof. Additionally, Fred Meyer contributes more than $5 million to communities across the Northwest each year through grants from the Fred Meyer Foundation as well as product donations, cash donations and sponsorships. Fred Meyer Stores is a division of The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR). For more information, please visit our Web site at www.fredmeyer.com.
About Operation Homefront: Operation Homefront provides emergency and morale assistance to our troops, the families they leave behind and for wounded warriors when they return home. A national nonprofit, Operation Homefront leads more than 4,500 volunteers across 23 chapters and has met more than 267,000 needs since 2002. A four-star rated charity by watchdog Charity Navigator, nationally, $.95 of total revenue donated to Operation Homefront goes to programs.