In anticipation of our fourth store opening in North Carolina on May 19^th, our Wake Forest leadership team has been busy connecting with local organizations to make a difference in their neighborhood. From local food bank donations to contributions to neighborhood schools, the store has already provided over $17,750 to the Wake Forest community. Below are just a few of the groups we’ve partnered with so far:

• Hope House is committed to making sure that families and individuals in Wake Forest do not go to bed hungry. Since April 2020, they have been providing meals and snacks to 100 individuals at a cost of $350 a week.
• Wake Harvest is a youth mentorship and development organization on a mission to prevent youth suicide. Their programs include assistance with virtual learning, afterschool care, and winter, spring, and summer camps. They focus on areas such as grief recovery, emotional regulation, problem solving, and respect.
• The Tri-Area Ministry Food Pantry provides food and personal hygiene products to families in need. In 2020, they fed 29,957 people and distributed 795,600 pounds of food to individuals in the Wake Forest community.
• 5 graduating seniors from local Wake Forest high schools each received a $750 scholarship grant from the new store in a symbolic nod to our annual Employee Scholarship Program. The recipients are students at Wake Forest High School, Heritage High School, Wakefield High School, Rolesville High School, and Franklin Academy High School.
• The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina experienced a 79% increase in food distribution over the last year due to the pandemic. To help keep their staff and clients safe, we donated 35 pallets of hand sanitizer to the food bank.

“We’re excited to officially open our doors and welcome our new neighbors into the store on May 19th,” said Wake Forest Store Manager Patrick McGuinness. “Our goal is to be a great neighbor to this community, and we look forward to building on the relationships we’ve already made with local organizations to improve the lives of our customers and employees in every way we can.”

For more information on how our stores make a difference in every community we serve, or to submit a donation request, please visit our website.