Christopher Pond said his company's decision to partner with ShelterCare was an easy one.
"Helping a locally based organization that does such positive work benefits the entire community, and we are happy to have a small part in that," said Pond, Santa Clara Fred Meyer Home Manager. "It is my job to foster relationships that will help my business grow in any way possible, and I look forward to helping again when I can."
Over the summer Fred Meyer stepped up in a big way, providing the agency with an assortment of deeply discounted household goods for agency clients, as well as $2,000 worth of plant seeds.
"Coming down and touring [the ShelterCare Center for Programs and Services] was a great experience. It helped to solidify what your scope of work and purpose really is," Pond said. "It is awesome that you were able to get all of your offices under one roof to streamline the process and help even more people in the area."
Fred Meyer was founded in Portland in 1922 and acquired by Kroger in 1999, Pond said.
"But we are still run with a local feel," he said. "We are still based out of Portland and were one of a handful of companies that provided benefits to part-time employees before it was cool. We employ over 700 associates in the Eugene/Springfield market alone, and support numerous community organizations."
Fred Meyer employees recognize that investments in the community and nonprofit organizations make for a better place to live.
"Together we support a vast number of community organizations," Pond said. "We work directly with Food for Lane County with both direct donations on perishable products as well as food drives in our stores. We have a huge Relay for Life team at both the corporate and local levels. Susan G. Komen/Race for the Cure is also an organization that garners support at both levels."
Fred Meyer customers even have a say when it comes to nonprofit donations, he said.
"Fred Meyer not only directly supports nonprofit organizations, but we let our customers decide where their share of our support will go," he said. "They can choose through their rewards card which organizations will receive funding based on purchases they make."
Pond pointed out that ShelterCare is one of the organizations that people can select to support from their rewards account online.