On March 2, The GIANT Company, in partnership with Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, announced the return of its Healing the Planet Grant Program.  Applications are due April 13.

This year, $300,000 will be awarded to projects that address food waste prevention, reduction, and recovery across The GIANT Company’s operating area in the states of Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia.

Pennsylvania counties include: Adams, Berks, Blair, Bucks, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clearfield, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Indiana, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, Perry, Philadelphia, Schuylkill, Snyder, Union and York.

“In the past two years of our grant program and partnership with Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, we have worked with dozens of grant recipients to make a difference in healing the planet by connecting families to green spaces and focusing on water conservation,” said Jessica Groves, community impact manager, The GIANT Company. “As a grocer, we are tackling the issue of food waste in our operations every day. Understanding that we all can make changes to divert food waste for our landfills, this year we are focusing on projects which specifically take steps to address this issue.”   

Projects must address food waste prevention, reduction and or recovery and can include community composting, increased access to compost for agricultural producers, educational programs regarding food waste prevention, reduction and recovery and diversion of food waste from landfills. 

Community gardens are eligible for funding but must have a food waste prevention, reduction and or recovery component, such as education. Awardees will be announced in June.

This is the third year The GIANT Company has partnered with Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful to offer Healing the Planet grants.

In the past two years, more than $800,000 has been awarded to 87 recipients for projects which connected people and families to green spaces and improved or helped to protect local waterways and water resources.

“Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is excited to learn about the many inventive ways food waste is being prevented, reduced and recovered,” said Shannon Reiter, president, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. “Not only do these types of projects save natural resources and reduce the amount of material that enters the waste stream, they can also potentially provide food security to those in need. We are honored to continue our partnership with The GIANT Company to provide opportunities to make a difference in the efficiencies of food waste within our communities. We also want to thank all of you who ‘rounded up’ at the register. Your generosity will directly impact your local community.”

As part of The GIANT Company’s healing the planet initiative, the company is committed to zero-waste initiatives, offsetting emissions, reducing food waste and producing green energy, and plastic bag recycling and plastic reduction efforts.

To learn more, visit the Healing the Planet Grant Program webpage and The GIANT Company website.

Questions about the grant program should be directed to Heidi Pedicone, Director of Programs for Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful at hpedicone@keeppabeautiful.org  or call 877-772-3673 x 109.

Customers Can Support Healing The Planet

In addition, customers can also support The GIANT Company’s healing the planet initiatives.

Now through May 31, customers can round up their purchase at any GIANT, MARTIN’S or GIANT Heirloom Market store at checkout.

Funds donated through round up will benefit Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, Rodale Institute, and Planet Bee Foundation.

For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful website. Click Here to become a member.  Click Here to sign up for regular updates from KPB, Like them on Facebook, Follow on Twitter, Discover them on Pinterest and visit their YouTube Channel.

The 2023 Pick Up Pennsylvania Initiative will be held until May 31  Questions should be directed to Michelle Dunn at 1-877-772-3673 Ext. 113 or send email to: mdunn@keeppabeautiful.org.

Keep PA Beautiful helps mobilize over 100,000 volunteers a year to pick up litter, clean up illegal dumping and beautify Pennsylvania.

Related Article:

-- PA Resources Council: State Of Glass Recycling In Southwestern PA - An Open Letter To Our Local Governments, Communities - By PA Resources Council, Michael Brothers Hauling & Recycling, CAP Glass, Inc. [PaEN]

[Posted: March 2, 2023]

3/6/2023