Food City is well-known for their superior customer service and vast community involvement within their operational areas.  In keeping with their exemplary service standards, each year Food City recognizes outstanding volunteerism among their associates through their Claude P. Varney Volunteer Recognition Program.

“As a company, we strive to maintain a high level of dedication to service, quality, value and community involvement, while providing a work environment that enables our associates to grow both personally and professionally as successful members of the team,” stated Steven C. Smith, Food City’s president and chief executive officer.

Following his attendance at a June 2002 White House meeting geared toward boosting national volunteerism through corporate support, Smith administered the creation of Food City’s Claude P. Varney Volunteer Recognition Program, in memory of their beloved former president and board vice-chairman.  Throughout his 47-year career, Varney brought a great deal of foresight and knowledge to Food City and the grocery industry as a whole but was most noted for his tremendous compassion and humanitarian services.  

“Many of our associates volunteer their time and talents to numerous service organizations throughout the areas in which we operate, and we feel it’s needful to recognize the valuable services and support they provide,” said Smith.  

Each year, special committees are established to review associate volunteer activities and select individual award recipients based on outstanding achievement in the areas of health, education, environment, cultural arts, recreational, heritage/history and public service.  One overall winner is selected from each Food City location and corporate levels.  Of those entries, the following individual store winners were selected:

Meredith Shevlin — Food City – Rossville, GA

Tina Penland — Food City – Dalton, GA

April Cornwell — Food City – Calhoun, GA

Lee Lowry — Food City – Ringgold GA

Jeff Caissie — Food City – Rossville, GA

Ashley Findley — Food City – Chatsworth, GA

Emma Barton — Food City – Trenton, GA

Lauren Harris — Food City – Oglethorpe, GA

Danny Mathis — Food City – LaFayette, GA

Bill Stewart — Food City – Paintsville, KY

Drema Chapman — Food City – Williamson, KY

Richard Smith — Food City – Middlesboro, KY

Michael Wireman — Food City – Louisa, KY

Sandy Cook — Food City – Whitesburg, KY

Sylvia Napier — Food City – Hazard, KY

Matthew Thacker — Food City – Pikeville, KY

Christopher Lewis — Food City – Cumberland, KY

Ladonna Griffey — Food City – Prestonsburg, KY

Shannon Adkins — Food City – Pikeville, KY

Rilie Gouge — Food City – Johnson City, TN

Stephanie Shepard — Food City – Morristown, TN

Alishia Cameron — Food City – Church Hill, TN

Cindy Ball — Food City – Newport, TN

Jamie Horton — Food City – Kingsport, TN

Penny McElroy — Food City – Greeneville, TN

Terrie Daugherty — Food City – Morristown, TN

John A. Laster — Food City – Greeneville, TN

Marilyn Van Ryn — Food City – Kodak, TN

David Craig Jr. — Food City – Pigeon Forge, TN

Abigail Carr — Food City – Gatlinburg, TN

Kaitlyn Luster — Food City – Rogersville, TN

Josh Curry — Food City – Newport, TN

Teresa Swanger — Food City – Jefferson City, TN

Timothy Loftus — Food City – Knoxville, TN

Austin Whitaker — Food City – Bristol, TN

Laura Brown — Food City – White Pine, TN

Sarah Fennell — Food City – Blaine TN

Alex Wheeler — Food City – Vonore, TN

Matt Kegley — Food City – Bristol, TN

Kristen Huskins — Food City – Erwin, TN

Dorraine Harless — Food City – Alcoa, TN

Meaghan Moreau — Food City – Johnson City, TN

Russell Coleman — Food City – Dandridge, TN

Shelly Spann — Food City – Elizabethton, TN

Paul H. Krueger — Food City – Loudon, TN

Henrietta Taylor — Food City – Harriman, TN

Caitie Morgan — Food City – Jonesborough, TN

Laken Wood — Food City – Johnson City, TN

Jeanie Wright — Food City – Oliver Springs, TN

Debra Reed — Food City – Seymour, TN

Ashley Posey — Food City – Tazewell, TN

Greg Skinner — Food City – Morristown, TN

Jackie Bell — Food City – Maryville, TN

Shelby Wells — Food City – Lenoir City, TN

Theresa Gregory — Food City – Maryville TN

Della Palmer — Food City – Kingston, TN

Angie Harmon — Food City – Seivers Blvd.,

Lorena Lopez — Food City – Clinton, TN

Anthony Woolbright — Food City – Crossville, TN

Cierra Fiedler — Food City – Kingsport, TN

Kirsten Campbell — Food City – Lafollette, TN

Teresa Borton — Food City – Crossville, TN

Cardiela Vickery — Food City – Greeneville, TN

Victoria Miller — Food City – Kingsport, TN

Lorena Lopez — Food City – Pigeon Forge, TN

Dusty Bilbrey — Food City – Sevierville, TN

Tony Baretta — Food City – Sevierville, TN

Ashley Patton — Food City – Blountville, TN

Edward S Green — Food City – Gray, TN

Chuck Gibson — Food City – Knoxville, TN

Kondwani Smiddy — Food City – Knoxville, TN

Jason Tipton — Food City – Knoxville, TN

Teri Lynn Lott — Food City – Knoxville, TN

Hugh Ogle — Food City – Knoxville, TN

Josh Turner — Food City – Powell, TN

Derick Cunningham — Food City – Maynardville, TN

Jack Greene — Food City – Oak Ridge, TN

Savannah Roach — Food City – Knoxville, TN

Jimmy Jeffers — Food City – Knoxville, TN

Pamela Childress — Food City – Athens, TN

Sabrina Painter — Food City – Knoxville, TN

Sam Shaddix — Food City – Knoxville, TN

Jack Lathrop — Food City – Knoxville, TN

John Santana — Food City – Piney Flats, TN

Baletta Gustus — Food City – Chattanooga, TN

Ethan Abernathy — Food City – Hixson, TN

David L. Harris — Food City – Chattanooga, TN

Kayana Craig — Food City – Chattanooga, TN

Hector Escobar-Elias — Food City – Esat Ridge, TN

Tim Held — Food City – Cleveland, TN

Pamela Graham — Food City – Hixson, TN

Justin Davis — Food City – Chattanooga, TN

Kelly Hawkins — Food City – Chattanooga, TN

Dolly Rogers — Food City – Harrison, TN

Taylor McCrary — Food City – Dayton, TN

Daniel Kershaw — Food City – Chattanooga, TN

Marty Burke — Food City – Red Bank, TN

Mikey Pody — Food City – Soddy Daisy, TN

James Ledford — Food City – Cleveland, TN

Michelle Collins — Food City – Etowah, TN

Samantha Buchanan — Food City – Ooltewah, TN

Samuel Kilgore — Food City – Ooltewah, TN

Lauren Lewis — Food City – Bristol, VA

Larry Tolley — Food City – Weber City, VA

Kaitlin Lane — Food City – Bristol, VA

Nichole Perdicaro — Food City – Abingdon, VA

Kierra Ray — Food City – Cedar Bluff, VA

Hannah Skeens — Food City – Vansant, VA

David Osborne — Food City – Marion, VA

Steven Stanley — Food City – Chilhowie, VA

Emily K Thurston — Food City – Bluefield, VA

Jordan Steele — Food City – Radford, VA

Frank Bibb — Food City – Pulaski, VA

Allison Thornbury — Food City – Damascus, VA

Abby Vaughn — Food City – Galax, VA

Anna Harrington — Food City – Independence, VA

Julie Roberts — Food City – Lebanon, VA

Nikki Anderson — Food City – Big Stone Gap, VA

Robert L. Dixon — Food City – Clintwood, VA

Melanie Deel — Food City – Coeburn, VA

Dalton Boldon — Food City – Pennington Gap, VA 102,

Sara Janeway — Super Dollar – Rose Hill, VA

Heidi Perrigan — Food City – St. Paul, VA

Brenda Johnson — Food City – Wise, VA

Kimberly Adams — Super Dollar – Prestonsburg, KY

Nicky Vaughn — Super Dollar – Rogersville, TN

Kyle Geffers — Super Dollar – Abingdon, VA

Store winners then move on to compete at district level.  Twelve district winners are recognized with an award and a $250 contribution to their choice charity.  Two divisional winners are then chosen and honored with a plaque and a $750 charity contribution.  And finally, one overall winner is selected to receive the prestigious Claude P. Varney Humanitarian Award and be publicly recognized for their outstanding achievements in addition to a $1,250 charity contribution made on their behalf.  

“We’re extremely proud of the difference our associates make through their many humanitarian contributions.  Our company is wholly committed to providing exceptional service to the citizens and communities in which we operate and ensuring our associates have the support they need to become the best corporate citizens possible,” summarized Smith.

 

Headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, K-VA-T Food Stores (Food City’s parent company) operates 134 retail outlets throughout southeast Kentucky, southwest Virginia, east Tennessee, Chattanooga and north Georgia.