Shopko Foundation Awards Over $70,000 in Green Bay Area Grants

GREEN BAY, Wis., Sept. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Shopko Foundation is proud to announce that it has awarded grants totaling $71,000 during the third quarter of fiscal year 2012 through its Green Bay Area Community Grant Program.   The organizations that were awarded grants are:  Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeastern Wisconsin ($10,000); Encompass Early Education & Care, Inc. ($5,000); Bellin Run ($12,000); Boys & Girls Club of Green Bay ($39,000); and Freedom House ($5,000).

"This year, Shopko is celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the opening of our first store right here in Green Bay," said Paul Jones, Shopko President and CEO and Chairman of the Shopko Foundation. "We are proud to be a 'homegrown' company and appreciate the opportunity to serve the Green Bay community.  Through the Shopko Foundation, we strive to strengthen our community by our support of charitable groups and activities that are important to the people who live and work here.  We are passionate about promoting healthy lifestyles and educational opportunities for our neighbors in Green Bay and all the communities where we serve."

"On behalf of our board of directors, staff, volunteers and most importantly, our resident families with children, we are humbled and grateful for this grant award from the Shopko Foundation," said Robyn Davis, President of Freedom House.  "These funds will allow us to continue breaking the cycle of poverty in our community and providing hope and a future for homeless families with children."

"The Shopko Foundation is the anchor supporter of our Teens2Work initiative which benefits hundreds of youth in the Green Bay area," said John Benberg, Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Club of Green Bay.  "The opportunity to participate in this program can be life-changing for a teen and break the cycle of poverty which ultimately benefits all of us…we are grateful to the Shopko Foundation for supporting this effort."

The Shopko Foundation's Green Bay Area Community Grant Program awards grants to 501(c)(3) organizations or accredited schools in Green Bay. The grants are awarded quarterly to support programs which further the Foundation's purpose of promoting the health and education of Shopko teammates and customers.  The Shopko Foundation is proud to have awarded grants totaling over $25 million in the last 32 years in the communities where Shopko does business. 

About the Shopko Foundation

Founded in 2007, the Shopko Foundation is a 501(c)(3) corporation operated exclusively for charitable purposes.  To maximize its impact, the Foundation has a narrow focus on areas of giving that support the health of Shopko customers, teammates and communities. The Foundation also recognizes that education is fundamental to an individual's health and functionality in society. Funds support established non-profit organizations with a proven record of success in maintaining solid, critical programs or innovative new organizations and programs supported by established non-profits or successful leadership.  The Foundation issues grants to support organizations or programs that help citizens of all ages maintain or improve their physical health and help students succeed in school and become self-sufficient adults.   

For more information, visit www.shopko.com/foundation.

SOURCE Shopko Foundation