Donation includes $150,000 to the NAACP New England Area Conference, $100,000 to University of Southern Maine and $50,000 to the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council
Scarborough, Maine – Hannaford Supermarkets today announced $500,000 in donations to support racial equity and justice initiatives, economic empowerment efforts and educational opportunity scholarships focused on diversity and inclusion across its five-state region in New England and New York.
The funding includes a total of $300,000 in donations to New England-based organizations, including $150,000 to the NAACP New England Area Conference; $100,000 to the University of Southern Maine; and $50,000 to the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council.
These gifts are in addition to existing Hannaford donations to organizations working in support of community empowerment efforts, including $25,000 to the Racial Equity Fund sponsored by the Greater Portland United Way and $10,000 to the Racial Justice Fund initiated by the Maine Justice Foundation.
“At Hannaford, we understand that we have a responsibility for helping build strong and healthy communities, where our customers, our associates and our families can thrive. No community can be healthy so long as racial injustice and inequity persist,” said Mike Vail, Hannaford President. “Today, we are investing in efforts to help empower individuals who too often face unfair disadvantages. In the days and years ahead, we are committed to working across our region, within our business and through collaboration with others to create meaningful and sustained change, so that our entire community can succeed together.”
The NAACP New England Area Conference will use the $150,000 donation to support its work in creating economic opportunity, combating educational inequality, fighting for racial justice and strengthening the communities Hannaford serves in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont.
“Hannaford Supermarkets has continued to reflect its genuine commitment to responsibly serving its market. The NAACP New England Area Conference is very excited to join Hannaford’s community of partners,” said NAACP New England Area Conference President Juan Cofield. “Hannaford appropriately sees social justice and service to the entire marketplace as part of its corporate commitment. The missions of our two organizations are in alignment; we share common goals. Here we have two organizations with exceptional reputations working together for their common interests.”
The University of Southern Maine (USM) will use the $100,000 donation from Hannaford for its Access to Education Fund, which focuses on creating a diverse student body by helping members of traditionally underrepresented groups, first generation college students, students of diverse background or students coming to Maine from an international location, such as asylum seekers.
The donation will fully fund the scholarship for two years and is anticipated to help a total of 24 students access higher education opportunities.
“Hannaford’s gift goes to the heart of our mission at the University of Southern Maine and will help grow the USM Access to Education Fund which targets support for highly qualified students who are not eligible for federal and state aid. Through the generosity of committed partners like Hannaford, USM is able to provide essential support to students so they can go on to impact their professions, their communities and the workforce of Maine,” said Glenn Cummings, Ed.D., President, University of Southern Maine.
The Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council will use the $65,000 in funding to help minority-owned businesses across Hannaford’s operating region succeed.
“This investment by Hannaford and others in New England will allow us to continue to build an even more effective development program to make more of New England’s minority businesses stronger,” said Peter Hurst, President and CEO of the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council. “Minority business development helps reduce the country’s racial wealth gap and our Minority Business Enterprise Development Program will continue to contribute to the health and growth of our current and future minority business enterprises.”
Hannaford will also support the following organizations in New York:
- $50,000 to the New York State NAACP
- $100,000 to the University at Albany
- $15,000 to support New York minority-owned businesses
About Hannaford Supermarkets
Hannaford Supermarkets, based in Scarborough, Maine, operates 184 stores in the Northeast. Stores are located in Maine, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Hannaford employs more than 27,000 associates. Additional information can be found at Hannaford.com.