NACS Spreads Holiday Cheer for Charity

Staff purchased 120 toys for local families in need and donated more than 300 pounds of dry beans to the DC Central Kitchen.

December 20, 2016

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – NACS completed toy and food collection drives to help two local community groups: the Alexandria (Virginia) Toy Drive and DC Central Kitchen.

NACS staff purchased 120 toys for the Alexandria Toy Drive, which will be distributed to children in Alexandria who are foster children or who live below the poverty line. Families have applied for assistance and have been vetted, meaning that each child who receives a toy through the drive wouldn’t be receiving anything this year if not for these donations. The NACS donations mean that 60 children in the area will receive at least two presents on Christmas.

“It is truly amazing to see our community together to help those in need, and NACS is a wonderful example of it. Their contribution was a significant factor in helping us to continue to aid local families and children, and we couldn’t have done it without their support,” said Executive Director of Volunteer Alexandria Marion Brunken.

NACS staff also donated more than 300 pounds of dry beans to DC Central Kitchen (DCCK). Every day DCCK volunteers transform 3,000 pounds of food into 5,000 healthy meals for the community. The group also has a Healthy Corners initiative to provide healthy food access in Washington, D.C., neighborhoods. It distributes fresh produce and healthy snacks to corner stores in D.C.’s low-income communities, offering produce to the stores at wholesale prices and in smaller quantities than a conventional distributor. In 2015, DCCK worked with 67 corner stores to help them sell 184,878 units of healthy snacks.

The NACS donations mirror what convenience stores contribute to communities across the country; convenience stores contributed or collected nearly $990 million for charities over the past year.

An October 2016 NACS survey found that 64% of convenience retailers support five or more charities in their communities, and 83% have been engaged in community giving for more than a decade. Nearly nine in 10 (88%) donate to local charities such as church groups, shelters, health-related organizations and other non-sports groups. More than three in four (76%) contribute to youth sports and activities and more than two-thirds (69%) contribute to local schools via PTAs and other fundraising activities. The median charitable contribution per store was $4,100 in direct contributions and $2,500 in donations collected.

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