CLAY COUNTY – Southeastern Grocers Inc., parent company and home of Winn-Dixie grocery stores, donated $500,000 to the American Red Cross to support vital emergency assistance, disaster preparedness and relief programs for communities in need. The donation includes $250,000 to SEG’s long-standing partner through the generous contributions of customers and associates during its recent community donation program held in its stores. The grocer’s charitable arm, the SEG Gives Foundation, donated an additional $250,000 to the organization earlier this year in preparation for hurricane season. Every cent donated will support the Red Cross Disaster Relief in helping families and individuals as they recover from natural disasters through food, shelter, counseling and other needed assistance.

Raymond Rhee, Chief People Officer for Southeastern Grocers, said: “After experiencing Hurricane Ian’s devastating force over our Florida communities, we’ve witnessed firsthand how the American Red Cross provides a lifeline to neighbors in need on the long road to recovery. We are humbled by our customers and associates who generously donated at our registers throughout the five coastal states we serve, and their support allows us to continue to stand with the Red Cross to support their crucial storm recovery and relief programs to strengthen and rebuild our communities when they are most vulnerable.”

Winn-Dixie customers and associates throughout the Southeast supported the program by donating $1, $5 or rounding up their grocery bill to the nearest dollar while shopping their local stores during the month of September. Following the vast devastation caused by Hurricane Ian, the donation program was extended through Oct. 18 in Florida stores to further support recovery and rebuilding efforts for affected communities. Additionally, SEG immediately responded after the storm to ensure its associates and neighbors were taken care of by dispatching mobile pharmacies and providing essentials like bottled water, ice, nonperishable food and cleaning supplies to more than 2,000 Southwest Florida families.

SEG has a long-standing partnership with the Red Cross, a national nonprofit whose mission is to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies through the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. Last year, SEG, together with the SEG Gives Foundation and generous customers, donated more than $815,000 to aid and support disaster relief efforts.