Today, we take a moment to celebrate and thank one of the 2021-2022 Celebrate United Award Winners. Festival Foods was awarded the Live UNITED Award because of their commitment to choosing to improve our community and make an impact day-in and day-out. Stacie Windel, Human Resources Manager/Market Lead at Skogen’s Festival Foods – Somers, accepted the award and gave us more insights into Festival’s history of giving.
Festival Foods has joined forces to support United Way statewide for more than 30 years. Their local support stems first from corporate leadership but remains strong due to their complete community dedication. In Kenosha County, the grocery store’s three locations: Kenosha, Somers and Paddock Lake rally together year-round and countywide to support our mission.
“Obviously, there’s a lot of nonprofits and a lot of good going on in our communities, but to be able to give to an organization that vets where that money goes and that so much stays in the communities where our stores are, I think that is a big deal and why we partner,” says Windel. “It’s trusted, and we know where that money is going. It is helping our community, and not only that, but in turn, helping some of our associates who are in need of assistance that is provided by United Way.”
One of Festival Foods’ five values is community involvement, and they encourage their employees to get behind philanthropic initiatives, if they are able to, because it is important to them as a company. Employees are asked to get involved via a charity registration form on their very first day of employment, fueling a company culture that embraces giving back right from the start. Additionally, staff run and operate their “Brat Barn” periodically throughout summer, selling hamburgers and brats outside their store with proceeds benefitting UWKC. The most recent Brat Barn event took place on July 8 where grocery shoppers and community members alike took part in a successful day of enjoying tasty food while making a difference.
Stacie was also recognized back in 2015 by United Way of Racine County as their Campaign Coordinator of the Year. It's clear Stacie and the entire Festival Foods team continues to live out their value of community involvement. Thank you, Festival Foods, for Living UNITED! United Way of Kenosha County is honored by the commitment of our community partners.
Celebrate United Awards
Through the United Way Workplace Campaign, we work together to create a thriving community where everyone has access to and participates in education, financial resources, and quality health care. Our Annual Celebrate United Awards, recognize and thank the individuals and partners who exemplified the caring power of our community throughout their workplace campaign.
Stay tuned to learn more about the other Celebrate United Award Winners or click here to read the announcement.