As part of its ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion, SpartanNash and its family of nearly 19,000 associates will commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 18.
“At SpartanNash, we embrace the importance of – and are committed to – a diverse and inclusive work environment,” said President and CEO Tony Sarsam. “As we celebrate Dr. King’s life and legacy, this is a ‘day on’ for us, not a day off. Many of our retail and distribution center associates will commemorate the day of service while ensuring our customers have the necessary food, medicine and household products they need, and we are so appreciative of their efforts.
“For others, the day will be spent in service to their local community or learning or teaching others about Dr. King’s passion for service. He famously said, ‘everyone can be great because everybody can serve.’ Observing the Martin Luther King, Jr. federal holiday through service is a way for our team to expand our corporate responsibility diversity and inclusion initiatives and begin the year with a renewed commitment to making our communities a better place,” Sarsam said.
To encourage volunteerism on MLK Jr. Day, SpartanNash has provided resources to its associates, including education about the importance of the day, SpartanNash’s commitment to diversity and inclusion and volunteer opportunities with nonprofit partners. In 2019, SpartanNash associates volunteered more than 56,000 hours, driving an economic impact of more than $1.3 million.
MLK Jr. Day commemorates the achievements of American Civil Rights leader the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who advocated the use of nonviolent means to end racial segregation. In recent years, it has served as a day of service, and Americans are encouraged to serve their community.
“SpartanNash is committed to building stronger communities, and there is no better day to do exactly that than on MLK Jr. Day,” said Shaquanda Gordon, VP of human resources, talent and diversity. “At SpartanNash, we are committed to driving a high-performing, inclusive people-first culture – one that celebrates the unique and important contributions of each and every associate here.”
Diversity and inclusion is a core component of SpartanNash’s Corporate Responsibility commitment. The company has a long history of investing in inclusive workforce development initiatives, collaborating with community training and education partners, and advancing the development and promotion of minority, veteran, women and disabled team members.
In June, SpartanNash also contributed $25,000 to the Heart of West Michigan United Way to be directed to a newly established Community Transformation Fund. The fund will begin collaborative work at the systems level to eliminate inequities through partnerships with numerous non-profit organizations in Kent County, focused on Black education, workforce development, food insecurities, housing inequities and more.
Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, SpartanNash is a Fortune 400 company whose core businesses include distributing grocery products to a diverse group of independent and chain retailers, its corporate-owned retail stores and U.S. military commissaries and exchanges; as well as operating a premier fresh produce distribution network. SpartanNash serves customer locations in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Europe, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Honduras, Bahrain, Djibouti and Egypt. SpartanNash currently operates 156 supermarkets, primarily under the banners of Family Fare, Martin’s Super Markets, D&W Fresh Market, VG’s Grocery and Dan’s Supermarket. Through its MDV military division, SpartanNash is a leading distributor of grocery products to U.S. military commissaries.
