by Greg Ferrara / president and CEO, National Grocers Association
Independent grocers are the heart of their communities, but the case can be made that they’re also the soul and strength.
Certainly, the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated this, time and time again.
To wit:
- When a fire destroyed the only grocery store in tiny, rural San Saba, Texas, Lowe’s Markets quickly established a temporary location, ensuring availability of groceries in a community where the next closest fresh food is 30 miles away.
- As New Jersey was gearing up to treat COVID patients, Wakefern donated 12 trailers to move hospital equipment to four pop-up field hospitals being set up as a preparedness measure.
- When pandemic-related issues were compounded by a severe winter storm that tore through their service area this past year, knocking out power and disrupting supply chains, associates at Brookshire’s in Texas kept stores open, even delivering product in the back of pickup trucks.
- The civil unrest of summer 2020 tested many grocers, including Brown’s ShopRite stores in Philadelphia and Cub Foods locations in Minneapolis, both of which sustained significant damage. However, they took a terrible situation and turned it into a positive, rebuilding and reconnecting closer to their communities.
The list goes on of independent community grocers that have proved themselves to be Supermarket Superheroes on the front lines in this country over the past 18 months.
And at this writing, in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida’s wrath on the Gulf Coast, independent grocers are once again stepping up, making sure their doors are open. Despite the lack of power, gasoline and other essentials, their neighbors will have food and water until a semblance of normalcy finds them again.
“Over and above” would be an understatement when describing how independent community grocers, far and wide, have responded to the events of the past year and a half.
That’s why NGA decided it would be impossible to single out one recipient for this year’s Peter J. Larkin Community Service Award.
It’s an honor that NGA – and award sponsor Kimberly-Clark – first bestowed a year ago to recognize an independent grocer or wholesaler company for its dedication and commitment to the community.
Considering the herculean efforts displayed by our industry as a whole since the start of the pandemic, NGA decided to present the 2021 Larkin Award collectively to NGA’s member retailers and wholesalers.
This decision was announced at the 2021 NGA Show, held in person last month in Las Vegas. The award is named in honor of Larkin, my predecessor as NGA president and CEO.
This decision may be a bit different, but it’s been an unusual year, one in which our industry’s commitment has been tested, finding itself forced to constantly pivot in order to deliver on its promise of serving the community.
It has been inspiring to see grocers giving back during a time when they sacrificed so much. With community service, we see the important role independents play at the heart of their communities.
NGA is happy to present this award to the entire industry for its actions during the pandemic, and I commend grocers for their continued focus on community service.
The 2021 Larkin Award trophy will reside in NGA’s office in Washington, D.C., as a symbol of our industry’s collective commitment to feeding the nation, come what may.
