Brookshire Grocery Co. (BGC) remains committed to doing the right thing by extending appreciation pay to Sept. 11 for its more than 14,000 retail and logistics employee-partners as a thank you for them doing their best every day to serve customers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This $1 more per hour is an extension of the pay increase that started March 24.

Giant Food, the Washington D.C. area's leading regional grocery chain, is teaming up with Avocados from Peru (AFP) to donate a trailer of over 40,000 pounds of Avocados from Peru, also known as summer avocados, to Feeding America network members Capital Area Food Bank in Northeast Washington, D.C., and the Maryland Food Bank in Baltimore, Md. Both deliveries will take place on National Avocado Day, Friday, July 31, 2020.

As part of its commitment to team member safety and continually evolving efforts to protect workers from COVID-19, Tyson Foods is launching a new, industry-leading monitoring program and expanding its occupational health staff, including a new chief medical officer position.

Perdue Farms and the Food Bank of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City, N.C. have unveiled a new refrigerated tractor-trailer to support the organization’s distribution of food within the 15 counties the food bank serves in northeast North Carolina. The tractor-trailer was funded through a $100,000 grant by Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Perdue Farms, in conjunction with the company’s 100th anniversary.

Raley’s announced they will provide an appreciation award to every hourly store, distribution center, pharmacy, production bakery and support center team member. The reward amount will be $500 for full-time team members and $250 for part-time team members. 

On our latest From the Cold Corner Podcast, I sit down with Neil Russell, VP of corporate affairs at Sysco, for details about the company’s constantly evolving strategies during the pandemic. 

Hyster-Yale Materials Handling Corporation announces a new solution designed to help promote social distancing measures as businesses reopen, using sensors embedded in tags that buzz when personnel get within six feet of one another. Employees can simply wear the electronic tags on a lanyard, similar to building or equipment access cards, offering a minimally intrusive solution that only makes its presence known when providing a proximity alert.

In recognition of National Hot Dog Day on July 22, members of the North American Meat Institute (NAMI or the Meat Institute) are working with Feeding America to donate more than 325,000 hot dogs to food banks across the nation for people in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Perdue Farms, with a $100,000 grant from the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, has partnered with the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank headquartered in Verona, Virginia, to establish two high school food pantries in the Shenandoah Valley. The “Good Food School Market” has continued to provide students and families in need with access to nutritious food since schools closed in March amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

EnerSys, a global leader in stored energy solutions for industrial applications, has continued operations through the COVID-19 pandemic while respecting health guidelines and regulatory compliance to ensure the safety of its employees and customers. In an effort to promote safer business practices both in its facilities and in the field, the company has implemented enhanced hygiene and social distancing procedures to mitigate the risk of contracting or spreading the virus.