Natural Grocers Continues Support for Texas Communities, Staff Impacted by Winter Storms

The severe weather conditions many businesses in Texas, including Natural Grocers, faced last month led to store closures, adjusted hours and staff who could not safely get to work. Banding together, the company’s good4u crew members opened as many locations as possible to provide much-needed essentials to their communities throughout the storm and in the days that followed.

In appreciation for the crew’s enduring community support, Natural Grocers developed a Severe Weather Pay program to benefit its Texas crew. To ensure that crew members were supported throughout the storm, the Severe Weather Pay program included daily bonus pay for those who made it to their stores and regular hourly pay for time missed when inclement weather caused store closures or made it impossible for crew to safely travel to their stores.

Further into the Texas communities, Natural Grocers implemented disaster relief efforts including supplying free water and donating to food banks facing a dramatic increase in need.

In the days and weeks following the storm, the retailer launched a companywide fundraising initiative to support Texas hunger relief programs, raising more than $108,000 for Feeding Texas, a statewide network of local food banks leading an effort to end hunger in the state. From Feb. 22 through March 14, customers were able to donate at the register at 160 stores in 20 states. Annually, Natural Grocers supports food banks in the 20 states where it operates, and fundraisers have become a key element of the company’s commitment to the community throughout the year.

“We have ongoing partnerships with food banks in every city and town where we operate because we believe that everyone deserves access to fresh water, high-quality foods and household essentials,” said Heather Isely, Natural Grocers’ Executive Vice President. “When we see a community that needs immediate and focused relief, we heed that call and trust that our customers will show up with us, which they always do. Our Texas crew was going through the same hardships as everyone else, and we wanted to make sure they were not required to use paid time off or risk losing wages if they couldn’t get in for their shifts or if their store couldn’t open. We wanted to show our appreciation to those crew members who were able to serve their communities and offer world-class customer service through it all.”

Natural Grocers operates 25 stores in Texas, with its Preston & Forest location currently under renovation and scheduled to reopen shortly with a contemporary layout and 40 percent larger footprint. To see all of Natural Grocers store locations, click here.