Southeastern Grocers Awarding Grants to Improve Equity in Local Communities

Southeastern Groceries (SEG) is offering grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 to organizations supporting underserved populations, as part of a broader effort to foster equity in the communities it serves. The annual Romay Davis Belonging, Inclusion and Diversity Grant is named for a 101-year-old Winn-Dixie associate, Romay Davis, who rejoined the grocery workforce at age 80 after an illustrious career spanning many fields of work and service.

Applications for the grants are open through September 30 across SEG’s five-state footprint. Entries will be evaluated by the company’s Belonging, Inclusion and Diversity Committee and winners will be announced on Oct. 29, Davis’s 102^nd birthday.

“At Southeastern Grocers, we embrace diversity by advocating for social justice and positive change, and we wholeheartedly commit to a culture that fosters a sense of inclusion and empowerment. As a people-first company, we proudly stand with our neighbors by offering meaningful solutions that provide sustainable opportunities to enrich the lives of underserved and underrepresented individuals and organizations,” said Elizabeth Thompson, chief people officer for SEG.

This is the second year of the program, which awarded $100,000 in funding to nine community groups in 2020. Through an expanded fundraising program, more monies are available this year.

The SEG Gives Foundation is the charitable arm of Southeastern Grocers, one of the largest conventional supermarket companies in the United States with grocery stores, liquor stores and in-store pharmacies serving communities throughout Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina. The company is No. 43 on The PG 100, PG’s 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.