As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, it’s a good time to think about democracy.
The evolution of experimental democracy over the past 250 years has been remarkable.
- Hy-Vee will expand its HomeFront initiative in May to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary and honor veterans and service members.
- Customers can donate their purchases in bulk to veterans support organizations, and Hy-Vee will match up to $100,000 in donations.
- Veterans and active duty military personnel will receive free coffee every Wednesday and free breakfast on May 20th.
- The company will also partner with the USO to distribute 5,000 care packages to military personnel.
To celebrate America’s upcoming 250th anniversary, Hy‑Vee will expand its Hy-Vee Homefront initiative, which honors veterans and active duty military personnel, throughout May.
Starting May 1, customers at Hy‑Vee stores can participate in the Hy-Vee Homefront Round Up by choosing to round their purchases to the nearest dollar to support organizations serving veterans, active duty military and their families, including the American Red Cross, Honor Flight Network, Hope for the Warriors, Operation First Response, and the Puppy Jake Foundation.
Hy‑Vee will also continue to match customer donations up to $100,000. In November 2024, Hy-Vee shoppers raised more than $200,000 in honor of Veterans Day. To date, total donations from all stores are $3,887,195.
Another initiative during the month of May is to provide weekly free coffee and hot meals to veterans and active duty personnel every Wednesday from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Hy‑Vee stores.
From 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. on May 20, these locations will offer veterans and active duty military members a complimentary breakfast buffet that includes eggs, biscuits, gravy, hash browns and more as a thank you.
In late May, Hy‑Vee will partner with the United Service Organization (USO), the nation’s leading organization serving active duty U.S. military personnel and their families, to distribute 5,000 hygiene and care package kits to deployed and active military personnel throughout the Midwest. The USO has been supporting the military community since 1941, operating more than 260 locations around the world and offering a wide range of programs from care package delivery to family support services.
These efforts build on the long-standing mission of Hy‑Vee Homefront, which was founded in 2013 to enhance support for veterans and military families. The program has donated more than $3.8 million to veterans’ nonprofit organizations and is known for its annual Veterans Day breakfast each November, funding for Honor Flight, and employee benefits for veterans and active duty military, according to a Hy-Vee press release.
“Hy-Vee is a company founded on a commitment to doing the right thing,” the Hy-Vee Homefront webpage states. “We are proud to be a supporter of these American heroes. But as a company that cares deeply about the communities and people we serve, we know we can do more. That is Hy-Vee Homefront’s mission.”
Vanessa Carlson Bender is the development and public health reporter for the Sioux Falls Argus Leader. Please contact us at vbender@gannett.com.
