For St. Louis residents, charity begins at GrandPa's - Metropolitan St. Louis, Missouri area - DISC

Discount Store News, August 17, 1992 by Mary Ellen Kelly

GrandPa's, the roughly $132 million, nine-store discounter based in Bridgeton, Mo., was easily one of the smallest chains to enter the DISC awards program this year.

But this regional discounter was anything but the smallest when measured by both the scope of its charitable programs, and the level of commitment by executives and associates to improve the quality of life in its market area. The chain's dedication to its "hometown" helped earn the chain the DISC award among chain with sales volume of less than $500 million.

As company president, Robert Voss noted in his DISC submission letter to DSN, "GrandPa's is the original hometown retailer . . . Hometown means lots of community involvement . . . Our community has made us who we are, and we aid those who have helped us . . ."

Voss also noted that the timing of the DISC program also coincided with the return of Tom Holley--chairman of GrandPa's parent, Gramex Corp.--from a summer camp where he was spending time with high school students from East St. Louis, an economically depressed area in GrandPa's market area.

The basic thrust of the chain's programs in 1991 were just what one would expect from a "Grandpa": a warm-hearted approach to educating individuals with the ultimate goal of encouraging a sense of self-reliance, self-respect and responsibility.

GrandPa's, like many other retailers involved in the DISC program, has developed its charitable agenda with the future of its communities in mind: the children. Education, commendation and safety are among the directions taken in child-oriented and other endeavors.

High School Hero of the Week was developed by GrandPa's in conjunction with a local television station, recognizing local athletes for outstanding achievements, dedication, sportsmanship and leadership. Nominations are supplied by coaches as well as by community members. The program culminated with a vote for High School Athlete of the Year.

Child-oriented programs that stress safety included Project Graduations and "After Prom" as well as GrandPa's Fall Festival Event during which GrandPa stores provided safe trick-or-treating for community children, and also supplied safety tips for Halloween night. Outlines included, "Don't eat any unwrapped candy or fruit until your parents have checked it," and "Trick-or-Treat only in your own neighborhood, on well-lighted streets."

Fire safety is also addressed as part of the Fall Festival. The St. Louis Fire Department built a mobile "Home Safe Home" Fire Safety House in 1990 which simulates fire and smoke conditions in a burning house, giving adults and children the opportunity to familiarize themselves on what to do if a fire broke out in their home. GrandPa's sponsored visits by "Home Safe Home" at three of its stores and provided a home safety quiz to review home safety methods.

In keeping with fire safety and prevention, 350 smoke detectors were donated during the Christmas season. These smoke detectors were installed in the homes of people graduating from another GrandPa's-sponsored charity, the "Skills Program". The program teaches the homeless how to help themselves and their families. GrandPa's also presented graduates with a GrandPa's gift certificate.

Other holiday contributions included the sponsorship of the Thanksgiving Day Christmas parade, the kick-off to GrandPa's Help the Homeless Christmas Campaign. Breakfast with Santa, visits to local homeless children, were conducted as part of the campaign.

During the holidays, GrandPa's also sold Christmas Bears, the proceeds of which are donated to the New Home Coalition, a regional clearinghouse for homeless charities, including The Christian Service Center, the Housing Resource Center and the St. Patrick Center which aids the St. Louis area's mentally ill, poor and homeless.

Also benefiting the New Home Coalition are sales of "Home Sweet Home" calendars which contain drawings by area children depicting positive home experiences of children. In total, in excess of $14,000 was raised through sales and donations to benefit the St. Louis homeless population.

Other programs GrandPa's undertakes include: * Adopting families as part of the Adopt-A-Family Christmas effort; * Donations on a monthly or quarterly basis were made to Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Goodwill Industry, Teen Challenge and Victory Farms; * Support of the St. Louis Special Olympians, including a four-hour celebrity sports carnival to benefit the Missouri Special Olympics, with games, sweepstakes entries and celebrity photo opportunities; * Sponsorship of the Environment Expo, which educates the community on environmental issues by creating life-like environmental settings, demonstrations and seminars and showing how individuals and families can help; * March of Dimes involvement including a GrandPa's presence as a Walk America check-point sponsor.