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Safeway employees gave more than 1 million hours as volunteers in 2012
Charities, other organizations throughout U.S., western Canada benefit from volunteer efforts

by Jeb Bing

Pleasanton-based Safeway Inc. announced this week that its employees gave more than 1 million hours of volunteer service to their neighborhoods and communities throughout the country in 2012, surpassing the company's goal for the second consecutive year and reinforcing a long-standing culture of volunteerism.

"We are proud of and thankful for our employees who chose to make a difference in their community in 2012," said Larree Renda, Safeway executive vice president and chairman of The Safeway Foundation.

"The response and gratitude we have received from charities and other organizations that benefit from our employees' volunteer efforts show we are making a visible and tangible impact in communities we serve," he said.

Last year -- 2012 -- marked the second year Safeway's 175,000 employees contributed more than 1 million hours of volunteer service. While volunteerism had long been part of Safeway's culture, Renda said the company undertook a formal initiative in 2010 to build on efforts already under way and assist employees who wanted to find activities and organizations that best suit their interests and talents.

Through its volunteer initiative, Safeway set out to encourage additional volunteer efforts and recognize employees who give a significant amount of time to various causes. Through a partnership with Volunteer Match, an organization that provides businesses with Web-based solutions to facilitate and track volunteer engagement at local and national levels, Safeway employees could find volunteer opportunities in their communities that met their specific interests, talents and availability.

Examples of volunteer activities performed by Safeway employees include participating in charity half-marathons/walkathons, coaching Little League sports teams, leading park and marine cleanup days, preparing hot meals at food pantries, helping the needy obtain social services and remodeling homes for people with disabilities.

Safeway Inc., which has its corporate offices on Stoneridge Mall Road, is a Fortune 100 company and one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America, based on sales.

The company operates 1,644 stores in the U.S. and western Canada and had annual sales of $43.6 billion in 2011.