Wegmans Contributes $32,000 to Yardley Community through Local Donations

With the grand opening of our Yardley store quickly approaching, we’re finalizing all the details to ensure everything is in place to greet our new customers. Yet, Wegmans is no stranger to Bucks County, where we opened our first store in 2006. Over the past year, Store Manager Bill Platt and Service Manager Dave Hemmer have been busy building upon existing relationships in the county, and creating new connections to help make a difference in the township. By the time the doors open on March 20, our Yardley team will have already contributed over $32,000 to our neighbors through community donations and sponsorships.

Community Collaboration
Bill began his first task as Yardley store manager in March 2023, working on the construction and development of the hiring office and onboarding his management team. Dave joined the team in August, transitioning from his role as the Service Manager at our Warrington store where he supervised local giving.

“It was very helpful being in this role at Warrington before I started here,” said Dave. “I had connections with individuals and organizations within Bucks County, and I understood our donation process.”

In late August, the Yardley team participated in our first local event, the annual Lower Makefield Township Community Day. Under a bright blue Wegmans tent, we handed out snacks and shared information about hiring to spread the news that Wegmans was coming to the area.

“We saw the excitement that the community had for us coming to this township,” said Bill. “We felt good about coming into the community and being welcomed by others.”

On Community Day, Bill and Dave connected with members of the Yardley-Makefield Fire Company and over the following months, we participated in their annual open house during fire prevention month and donated food for their family picnic. When we missed the registration deadline for another local event, the fire company offered to share space with our team so we could participate.

“They called us up the next day and asked if we wanted to set up a tent on their property,” said Bill. “It felt good that they wanted us to be a part of it.”

In addition to participating in these local events, the Yardley team also provided donations to the Makefield Women’s Association, the Kiwanis Club of Washington Crossing-Yardley, and to Shady Brook Farm for their Holiday Light Show. Later this year, five graduating seniors from three local high schools will each receive a $1,000 scholarship grant from the store. This is a symbolic nod to our Employee Scholarship Program, which supports thousands of employees with tuition assistance each year.

Listening and Learning
Right before the holidays, we invited several local nonprofit organizations and businesses to gather with us so we could learn more about the Yardley community.

“It was an opportunity for us to meet with organizations and leaders within the community and talk about those things that the community does well, and what they may need help with,” said Dave. “It was a great way to figure out how we fit into this new community that we’re joining.”

Bill and Dave left the meeting with a better understanding of how we could make a lasting impact in Yardley and got right to work. They set up additional meetings with Bucks County Community College to discuss how our chefs can assist with their culinary program. They connected with the United Way of Bucks County to identify two local families that we could adopt for the holidays, providing gifts to open on Christmas morning and holiday dinners.

Dave had already partnered with the Bucks County Opportunity Council (BCOC) during his time at the Warrington store and is looking forward to expanding the partnership at Yardley. BCOC will serve as our perishable pickup partner, receiving daily donations of unsaleable perishable food items at the Yardley store and will benefit from our annual customer scan campaigns. In February, the Yardley team will present BCOC with an early Valentine, a $10,000 donation to support their mission of reducing poverty and promoting economic self-sufficiency.

“BCOC is excited for the opportunity to continue to grow our relationship with the Wegmans family,” said Erin Lukoss, Executive Director/CEO of Bucks County Opportunity Council. “Wegmans is an integral partner in ending hunger in Bucks County and we are proud to work with the team to bring additional resources to this important community problem.”

Support Beyond Opening Day
As Bill and Dave met with local leaders throughout the community, they heard about the issue of food insecurity time and time again. When they began considering options for providing ongoing contributions to the community for years to come, this topic came to mind.

“We wanted to do something that was both sustainable and relates directly to our business,” said Dave. “When I met with the United Way and BCOC, I learned there are food pantries in schools for kids who don’t have enough food at home.”

BCOC helped us identify two food banks that are housed within local schools. The Yardley team plans to visit both schools to stock the shelves with food and spruce up the food banks, with the ultimate goal of providing ongoing support through donations and volunteering.

“It’s a great opportunity for our employees to see how Wegmans makes a difference in the community,” said Bill. “A lot of times when we open a store, it’s not always transparent for our new employees to see how we make a difference, but I think this allows the opportunity for them to see what we do on a regular basis.”

Wegmans Yardley opens at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, March 20. For more information about our commitment to being a good neighbor in every community we serve, visit our website at https://www.wegmans.com/values-in-action/community-giving/.