Giving Back Locally
Make-A-Wish is a non-profit organization founded in 1995 that grants the wish of a child diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition in the United States and its territories. Nearly 80% of wishes are granted from donations of those giving back. The Georgia chapter alone grants 550+ wishes a year.
Make-A-Wish has a close connection to the Southern Valley family. Courtney Hamilton, who is the daughter of the company’s founder, Kent Hamilton, was diagnosed with Leukemia at age 10. After 3 years of therapy, her cancer went into remission. Today, she makes it a personal goal to give back to other kids who are suffering with cancer through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Southern Valley donates to Make-A-Wish annually as well as volunteers.
Serenity House provides a 24-hour helpline, emergency shelter for victims and their children, legal advocacy, and more for victims and children of domestic violence. They provide victims of family violence with a place of safety, help and guidance in the transition to self-sufficiency, and provide counseling and support for women, children, and families who are victims of family violence and in need of service, but not shelter. They also educate the public about family violence and resources available, and provide education for the prevention of family violence in the community. Southern Valley donates an average of $4,000 worth of produce each year.
Giving Back Nationally
Rockin’ Appalachian Mom Project
RAMP connects resources, invests in communities, and empowers children and families to lift themselves out of poverty, beginning in Martin County, Kentucky.
Southern Valley supports RAMP through their partnership with the Southeast Produce Council. The Southeast Produce Council holds a fall and spring food drive, feeds over 500 families, provides money for school snacks, donates refrigerated storage units and builds relationships with RAMP workers and volunteers.
Philabundance was created in 1984 with the simple belief that no man, woman or child should go hungry. Their growth and eventual integration with the Philadelphia Food Bank has made them the region’s largest hunger relief organization. They are able to address hunger through direct service programs and a network of 500 member agencies, as well as contribute to a broad spectrum of social services through food cupboards, emergency kitchens, shelters, daycare and senior centers and beyond.
Southern Valley helps Philabundance by donating produce, building relationships and contributes monetary donations.
Since partnering with the Food Bank, Southern Valley has donated an estimated 3,000,000 pounds of produce to food banks across the country at cost of production.
Almost ten years ago, Southern Valley partnered with Pratt Industries, the world’s largest, privately held 100% recycled paper and packaging company. Southern Valley purchases 5,642 tons of recycled paper per year from Pratt Industries and together, this partnership:
- Saves 95,914 trees and the equivalent of water used by over 300 homes annually
- Reduces enough electric power usage to power over 2,000 homes for one year
- Prevented 18,619 cubic yards of landfill growth for the year
- Decreases the Carbon Foot Print equal to 800 people every month