CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: Winn-Dixie Builds Community Relationships

The Bonise family of Liberty City in Miami has a brand-new home, thanks to the efforts of Winn-Dixie, the Kellogg Co. and Habitat for Humanity of Greater Miami. Last month, Nanci Bonise and her two sons, Kyenan and Markenley, received special housewarming gifts — including a raft of Kellogg-branded products — as they moved into their new house, which was funded by the Southeast regional grocer and the iconic manufacturer, and built with the support of the well-known ecumenical Christian ministry, which is dedicated to providing low-income families with places to live.

At a dedication ceremony and community celebration, speakers included Liberty City Winn-Dixie store director James Morris, Kellogg key account manager Paul Butler and Habitat for Humanity of Greater Miami executive director Anne Manning.

A joint Winn-Dixie-Kellogg promotion raised the $50,000 needed to purchase materials to build the Bonise house. Each time customers bought two of any type of Kellogg’s, Keebler, Eggo, Kashi, Cheez-It or Murray products, Kellogg donated 25 cents to the building of the residence. The project marked the 13th Habitat for Humanity house the two companies have funded since they first teamed up for the initiative in 2005.

“Through partnerships with organizations such as Habitat, we can provide much-needed resources and encouragement to change people’s lives and strengthen our communities,” noted Paul Fredericks, Miami zone manager for Battle Creek, Mich.-based Kellogg.

As required by the Habitat program, over the past five months, Nanci Bonise contributed over 300 hours of “sweat equity” with the organization to help build the house.

In other Winn-Dixie corporate social responsibility news, architects at Winter Park, Fla.-based Rogers, Lovelock & Fritz, Inc. last month collaborated with the grocer to build an 8-foot-tall replica of New York’s Guggenheim Museum out of canned Winn-Dixie brand tuna and organic and non-organic vegetables at Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, Fla. The structure, which used 2,400 cans, was part of “Canstruction,” a competition pitting local architecture and construction firms against each other to create dramatic art using nonperishable food products, all of which are donated to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. Mall visitors voted the Guggenheim Canstruction the winner of the contest.

Jacksonville, Fla.-based Winn-Dixie operates 515 retail grocery locations, including more than 400 in-store pharmacies, in Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia and Mississippi.
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