A grocery store.
Most of us think of it as just another stop on our weekly routine. It's where we pick up the food our families need, and then we're on our way. But sometimes we don't stop to think about the impact a grocery store can have on an entire community.
For Erie, Wegmans is much more than a grocery store.
They are a longtime community partner, a strong advocate for our work, and an organization that continues to invest in the students and families we support through United Way Community Schools.
Throughout the year, both the Peach Street and West Ridge Wegmans stores support the Community Schools Model in countless ways. From volunteering and hosting donation drives to raising awareness and providing financial support, their commitment extends far beyond their stores.
That commitment was on display during National Intern Day, when about 20 Wegmans interns spent the day learning about United Way Community Schools.
The group first heard from United Way President, Mike Jaruszewicz about the impact Community Schools are making across Erie County. They then headed to East Middle School, a United Way Community School, where they organized the Community Closet, cleaned around the school, and helped prepare the building for the start of a new school year.
For Joe Mucci, who oversees Wegmans' intern program, experiences like this are about helping interns see the difference they can make in their own communities.
"I hope our interns walk away with a deeper understanding of the difference they can make when they invest in their communities," said Mucci. "United Way's Community Schools model shows how supporting students and families helps create stronger communities, and this experience gives our interns a firsthand look at that impact. Opportunities like this remind our interns that even small acts of kindness and service can have a lasting impact on someone's life."
Volunteer projects like this may seem simple, but they play an important role in preparing our schools for students and remind us that creating opportunities for the next generation takes all of us. We're grateful to Wegmans for continuing to invest their time, talent, and resources into our community and for showing the next generation of leaders what it means to give back.
