Safeway Receives Military Officers Association of America's Distinguished Service Award

PLEASANTON, Calif., April 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Safeway Inc. (NYSE: SWY) was selected to receive the 2014 Military Officers Association of America's (MOAA) Distinguished Service Award, which honors individuals or organizations for their strong support of national defense and the uniformed service community. The company was recognized by MOAA for its "outstanding support as an employer of Guard and Reserve members and veterans."

"It is an honor to receive this important recognition from the Association.  We take great pride in providing employment opportunities to our men and women in uniform, whether they are Reservists, National Guard or veterans," said Safeway Executive Vice President, Larree Renda, who accepted the award on Safeway's behalf at an evening ceremony in Washington, D.C. on April 8.  "We encourage all employers to consider how their business could benefit from the training, discipline and strong character that is synonymous with America's military men and women."

Safeway has a long-standing tradition of supporting the military and veterans.  The company was among the first employers to commit (more than 10 years ago) to covering the pay differential and extending full benefits to employees in the Reserve and National Guard, who were called to active duty.  Safeway continues to provide this benefit today. The company actively pursues employment opportunities for returning veterans through three targeted programs. Safeway's Junior Military Officer (JMO) and Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) programs were launched in 2010 and 2011, respectively, and accept applicants who have been military officers and places them in an accelerated leadership program. The programs include on-the-job training, job-shadowing and classroom seminars.  Graduates qualify for Store Manager and Assistant Manager positions, along with other manager-level roles in Supply Chain, Distribution, and the company's Division and Corporate headquarters.  

In 2012, Safeway expanded its military hiring initiative further to include an even broader cross-section of the military personnel from all backgrounds through our Retail Military Recruiting Program. This program focuses on hiring our veterans and military personnel to our retail store environment into positions such as Baker, Courtesy Clerk, Starbucks Clerk, Night Crew, Department Managers and much more.  Through the efforts of our division recruiters, our team connects with local military and veteran community-based organizations, proactively, to help find high quality candidates for our retail stores and jobs for this nation's veterans.  Since 2012, Safeway has hired nearly 3,600 veterans or members of the Guard and Reserve. Safeway has also committed to hiring at least another 1,500 veterans or members of the Guard and Reserve in 2014.

In addition to employment opportunities, the company raises funds on Veterans Day weekend. To date, Safeway has collected and donated $2.6 million to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project and other organizations that help veterans recover from service-related injuries and/or return to the civilian workforce. Safeway's various divisions also participate in local fundraisers and community service initiatives to support our country's heroes. These programs are in addition to ongoing commitments to continue full benefits for Safeway employees who are called to active duty, and to ship care packages — more than 2,500 to date — to soldiers overseas. 

About Safeway
Safeway Inc., which operates Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Randalls, Tom Thumb, and Carrs stores, is a Fortune 100 company and one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States with sales of $36.1 billion in 2013. The company operates 1,335 stores in 20 states and the District of Columbia, 13 distribution centers and 20 manufacturing plants, and employs approximately 138,000 employees. The company's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SWY. For more information, please visit www.Safeway.com.

About Military Officers Association of America
Military Officers Association of America, established in 1929, is the nation's largest and most influential association of active duty, National Guard, Reserve, retired, and former military officers and their families and survivors. The Association consists of over 380,000 members. The Distinguished Service Award was instituted in 1997. Recipients of the award are selected by MOAA's Board of Directors. www.moaa.org

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SOURCE Safeway Inc.