Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage has donated $71,000 in products to Food Bank of the Rockies, kicking off the retailer’s 71st anniversary celebration set for Aug. 13-15.
The Lakewood, Colorado-based grocer made the donation in collaboration with Pop Your Vitamins, a Colorado-based functional vitamin soda brand carried at select Natural Grocers locations. The contribution includes thousands of snack items from Natural Grocers, among them trail mixes, nuts, seeds and other grab-and-go products, plus more than 20,000 cans of wellness beverages from Pop Your Vitamins.
“For 71 years, Natural Grocers has believed that healthy communities start with access to nutritious food,” said Raquel Isely, VP of marketing. “We’re honored to support Food Bank of the Rockies and grateful to collaborate with Pop Your Vitamins as we kick off our anniversary celebration.”
Two decades of food bank support
Natural Grocers and its customers have supported Food Bank of the Rockies for more than 20 years. The organization serves 32 counties in Colorado and 23 counties in Wyoming.
Through its Bring Your Own Bag program and in-store donation campaigns, the retailer has contributed more than $1.3 million to the food bank, providing more than 4 million meals, according to the company.
“Right now, food insecurity is at its highest level in more than a decade, both locally and nationally,” said Mark Weslar, food sourcing director at Food Bank of the Rockies. “Because of committed partners like Natural Grocers, we can continue to show up for our neighbors with the nourishing food they need to thrive.”
Food Bank of the Rockies recently opened a 270,000-square-foot distribution center in Aurora, Colorado. The facility triples cold storage and volunteer capacity and is expected to increase fresh produce distribution by up to 50 percent over time.
Shelf space for emerging brands
Pop Your Vitamins is among the newest Colorado brands stocked at Natural Grocers, which has a history of giving emerging natural and organic companies early retail placement.
“Food Bank of the Rockies does incredible work for Colorado and Wyoming families, and Natural Grocers has supported that mission for decades,” said Kelly Bond, marketing and social media manager at Pop Your Vitamins. “We’re proud to partner with Natural Grocers by donating approximately 20,000 cans to help make healthy options more accessible for families across the region.”
Anniversary sale
The in-store anniversary events include the company’s largest sale of the year. {N}power members can save up to 52 percent on more than 600 products. The retailer also is offering daily giveaways and free samples, plus a sweepstakes with more than 4,200 prizes valued at more than $184,000, including a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.
Founded in 1955, Natural Grocers (NYSE: NGVC) is a specialty retailer of natural and organic groceries, body care products and dietary supplements. The company operates 174 stores in 22 states.