The Burbank location of Grocery Outlet Bargain Market has been open for less than a month, but it’s already clear that the store is committed to offering more to area residents than discounted groceries. “No matter what size of a community it is, there’s always need somewhere,” said independent store owner Todd Pruitt. The store celebrated its grand opening on Feb. 11 by donating $1,000 in gift cards to the Burbank Temporary Aid Center, which happens to be right down the street from the store’s location at 1615 W. Verdugo Ave. In addition, a former client of the center will join Pruitt’s team in mid-March as a Bargain Market employee. “The nice thing about being an independent owner is we can support people who live in the community, as opposed to when you’re donating through a large corporation,” Pruitt said. “Here we have the flexibility to offer help as the need arises.” Pruitt is no stranger to corporate giving. He has spent the last 35 years managing stores with grocery chains such as Albertson’s Cos. Inc., Kroger Co. and Von’s Cos. Inc. In his experience, the trouble with forking over checks to big-name nonprofits is that it can be difficult to know how the funds are used. Working with local groups makes it easier to ensure that the donation gets where it belongs, he said. “Some of the groups we worked with before were so large, well-funded and top-heavy that you just didn’t know where the money was going,” Pruitt explained. “Here I know that our donation is going down to the people who actually need it.” In the short time since it opened, the store also has donated bags to Residents Inspiring Service and Empowerment, or RISE Burbank, a city program for community leaders. Additionally, four Bargain Market employees were hired through a Downtown L.A. welfare organization for young adults; in the past, stores under Pruitt’s ownership routinely partnered with service groups to offer employment or internships to those under their care, he explained, a practice he hopes to continue in Burbank. “We’ll do more once we get settled in,” Pruitt said. “We’re excited to be here.” Hammer of Hope Princess Cruises and its charitable arm Princess Cruises Community Foundation have been awarded Habitat for Humanity’s “Hammer of Hope,” the nonprofit organization’s highest accolade for individuals or businesses that dedicate resources to serving veterans and low-income families. The Santa Clarita cruise line, a division of Carnival Corp. & plc, for the past three years has taken part in projects with the San Fernando Valley/Santa Clarita chapter of Habitat through its corporate outreach program. The Princess Cruises Community Foundation provides the money for the annual day-long volunteer retreats, but all the muscle comes from Princess employees, said Foundation Director Karen Reich. “They don’t make (the projects) easy for us corporate types,” she said. “It’s real work, but it’s very gratifying.” This year’s building event took place in early February. A group of 85 employees from the company’s corporate headquarters gathered in Santa Clarita on Feb. 2 to assist with construction on a 78-home “enriched neighborhood” for veterans, a joint endeavor between Habitat, the California Department of Veterans Affairs and Woodland Hills nonprofit Homes For Families. Participants raised fencing and added stucco finish to the homes, working side-by-side with some of the veterans who will own them. “The enriched veterans’ community is right in our backyard, so it’s a natural fit for us in welcoming veterans to our own community and finding a way to thank them for their service,” Reich said. Joining forces with Habitat gives Princess employees an opportunity to take an active, hands-on role in projects that matter to them, she said. “I think as an employer you want to be the kind of company that reflects the values of your employees, and giving back to the community is a very important value to our employees,” Reich explained. The company’s dedication to that mission was recognized on Feb. 24 at Habitat’s “Hearts for Heroes Builders Ball” in Universal City, where Princess Vice President of Public Relations Brian O’Connor accepted the Hammer of Hope from Congressman Brad Sherman. “It was quite an honor for us,” Reich said. “Habitat for Humanity is very important to many of our employees, and we always strive to be a good neighbor in our Santa Clarita community.” Also honored at the Builders Ball were World War II veterans Lou Brousseau, Cal Erickson, Rex Gribble, Lloyd Lubensky, Richard Roelofs, Lee Shulman and Tom Tucker, whose service was recognized by state Assemblyman Dante Acosta. The event raised more than $290,000, which will be used to fund the final phase of construction on the Santa Clarita veterans’ neighborhood. Staff Reporter Helen Floersh can be reached at (818) 316-3121 or [email protected].
