As we prepare to open our first location in Delaware on October 26, we’ve sought to create new partnerships to introduce ourselves to the community. Over the last year, our Wilmington store team has met with many local nonprofit organizations and community leaders to learn how we can make a difference in our new neighborhood. In total, we’ve committed over $25,000 to the Wilmington community through donations and event sponsorships, as well participated in several volunteer opportunities.

“Helping others, and making a difference, not only aligns with our values, but it’s an integral part of we do at Wegmans every day,” said Wilmington Store Manager Jared Fedor. “Connecting those efforts to the communities we serve helps us to better understand our customers’ needs and allow us to truly make a difference.”

We focus our giving on four key areas where we can make the biggest impact: health, education and youth support, economic mobility, and community collaboration. We have worked with the following organizations and programs to help make a difference in Wilmington:

• Food Bank of Delaware – In early September, the store donated $10,000 to the Food Bank of Delaware (FBD). FBD distributes more than 15 million pounds of food to the community each year, including fresh produce from their five-acre farm. They also provide workforce and community development classes for the community.
• My Sister’s Keeper – The Wilmington store donated to I Am My Sister’s Keeper, a non-profit organization which supports local, diverse females under the age of 18. The program gets the girls involved in community service, provides mentoring, and assists them in developing leadership skills, all to help them grow personally and professionally.
• Ursaline Academy – The store is providing water and Wegmans MVP Sports Drinks for fundraiser events, as well as assisting the school with acquiring donations. The Academy, a local, all-girls school, has several athletic fields near the Wilmington store location.
• Scholarships for Local High Schools – Last May, the store gave $1,000 scholarships to a senior at each of the six high schools in the Wilmington area. This is a nod to our employee scholarships that support hundreds of employees each year.
• The Hope Center of New Castle County – The Hope Center, a former hotel that was transformed into a shelter for the homeless, assists guests and clients of the county’s Housing Choice Voucher Program to locate and gain access to permanent, affordable housing. They also offer medical assistance, and recovery and counseling services, to make homelessness a temporary situation. Once the Wilmington store opens, it will provide regular donations, including cake and ice cream to help celebrate the residents’ birthdays on a quarterly basis. The Division Nutritionist will also attend an after-school program to provide guidance on health and nutrition later this fall.
• United Way of Delaware – We are partnering with the United Way of Delaware to support their annual “Do More 24” Campaign, making a $3,000 corporate donation and supplying $7,000 in Wegmans gift cards as donation incentives. Our team has also had the opportunity to connect with the United Way’s interns to discuss career opportunities at Wegmans.

Fedor is looking forward to expanding on the connections they have already made. “We will continue to build, and strengthen, relationships within the community by listening and learning about what is most important to our customers.”

Wegmans Wilmington opens at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, October 26. For more information about the new store, visit our website at https://www.wegmans.com/wilmington.