MILTON — Santa Rosa County residents may know Publix as the supermarket where employees offer to walk customers’ groceries to their vehicle.
What they may not know is the kind of giving these same employees do for their community.
Local Publix Super Markets recently gave $168,810 to the United Way of Santa Rosa County through the nonprofit organization’s annual employee giving campaign, according to Debra Baez, UWSRC operations and campaign director. Baez said the supermarket chain ranks first in the county while the companywide total of $58.7 million put it fourth in the world.
So, how did other businesses stack up in United Way donations?
“The global giving list shows number one as Wells Fargo, two as UPS, three as Microsoft, and four is Publix,” Baez said.
United Way’s corporate office has an annual campaign — from June 1 to the last day of November in Santa Rosa County — where the organization encourages area businesses to ask employees to contribute through a payroll deduction. Many companies also provide some kind of match.
Local Publix stores’ $168,810 total, Baez said, is an increase from the previous year’s $136,353, an over $30,000 increase among just Santa Rosa County stores.
“Publix Super Markets are our county’s No. 1 donor,” Baez said. “I have never seen a company step up on so many levels as I have seen with our association with Publix. When it comes to helping Santa Rosa, this year’s campaign really knocked it out of the park.”
Publix associates filled in pledge cards and designated either one-time or annual deductions from their paychecks each pay period. Store managers and associates from the three Santa Rosa super market locations raised $94,810 for the 2015 campaign. The remaining $74,000 is a Publix corporate match. Nearly 30 associates and managers, she said, donated $1,000 or more, and will receive a United Way Red Feather commemorative pin later this year as a token of appreciation and recognition.
Chad Southerland, manager of the Gulf Breeze Publix, said, “I’ve worked for Publix going on 27 years now and UW was something that our founder, (George Jenkins) was constantly looking for ways to give back to our community, and UW was one of those areas that has a far reach into our communities … By giving to United Way it completes part of our mission statement to be involved as responsible citizens in our communities.”
“I remember giving in the mid ‘90s when I got into management. I relate it to my associates like tithing. The hardest part is to start. Once you start, and you realize it’s going to help someone, you really don’t miss it. Even if you just give a dollar, that goes a long way. United Way is able to do a lot with even a dollar a week.”
BY THE NUMBERS
United Way of Santa Rosa County announces its top contributor to the workplace campaign is Publix while the supermarket chain is also the fourth in the world.
2014 and 2015 contributions:
●The 2014 employee payroll deduction pledge was $78,153.
●The 2014 corporate match was $58,200.
●The 2014 total was $136,353.
●The 2015 employee payroll deduction pledge was $94,810.
●The 2015 corporate match was $74,000
●The 2015 total was $168,810, a $32,457 increase.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Publix sets United Way of Santa Rosa County giving record of $168,810