Pulling out that City Market value card on your key chain or from your wallet when going through the checkout line is old habit for most shoppers.
But did you know that City Market will donate a portion of your sales revenue to a local organization every time they scan your card? But customers and organizations have to sign up for it.
“I don’t think that people are aware of it,” said City Market manager Troy Cordell. “It’s a great opportunity to give to charity, and for certain community groups to get funding by simply having supporters shop at our store.”
And it is totally on City Market’s dime. The grocery chain donates $100,000 each quarter of the fiscal year under the City Market Cares Electronic Funding Program.
There are 130,000 cards signed up for the program on the Western Slope, including stores on the Navajo Reservation.
Customers interested in participating should contact their favorite charitable organization to find out if the they are signed up, and add their value card to the list. If the group is not signed up, organizers should contact their local store manager for more information on how to do so.
The company focuses on groups that promote hunger relief, health, education, diversity, disaster relief, and sustaining the environment. Schools, churches, public entities, and nonprofits are encouraged to apply. The organization must be located in the Four Corners.
Some of the national organizations include the Salvation Army, American Cancer Society, United Way, Hospice, the Boy and Girl Scouts of America, various food banks.
Local organizations include Four Corners Association of Gifted and Talented, Cortez Civil Air Patrol, Cortez Cultural Center, Cortez Middle School Band, Crow Canyon, Montezuma Land Conservancy, Madison House, and many more.
For Pet’s Sake, an animal advocacy group in Montezuma County, has been benefiting from the program, and was recently awarded a $910 check, said board member Don Anderson.
“It will be used for medical expenses to help people pay bills for their dogs and cats, some of it will go to the feral cat program, and it also pays for extra pet food,” he said. “Its worked out well for us. Every three months we get funding from the program, and that really helps because we are a volunteer organization.”
Cordell said: “We give $100,000 to 600 organizations every quarter and encourage our community to sign up for the program. Don did a good job of getting everybody to link their card to the for Pet’s Sake organization and now they receive a benefit.”
The company donates the money based on shopping habits, frequency, and purchases.
“It is our way of giving back to the community,” he said. “The money is there, it just depends how many cards get linked to the organization.”
