The Great Grocery Giveback, which provides a full week’s worth of groceries to those who have been furloughed or laid off as a result of COVID-19, has launched with support from founding sponsors Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Sysco Corporation and the Young Professionals of Birmingham.

“We at YP are committed to using our resources to not only help weather this storm but to help the Birmingham community come back even stronger and give back to the community that has helped make us who we are,” said Lorenzo Johnson, president of Young Professionals of Birmingham. “We are hoping our small acts of kindness will not only help remove some of the stress affecting our community, but that also other businesses locally and across the Southeast will take note and work to do the same in their communities.”

Each week a sponsor will make a donation to aid efforts in feeding individuals in need and their families. Groceries will be purchased for as many families as donations allow on a first-come, first-served basis. With current sponsorship and donation efforts, the initiative will provide bags of groceries to 200 people in its first week, which starts Monday, April 20.

“We engage in thousands of charitable sponsorships nationwide on an annual basis to give back to causes, efforts and organizations within our communities,” said Trip Cobb, Alabama Sales Consultant at Tito’s Handmade Vodka. “The Great Grocery Giveback is no different – we want to reassure our neighbors that Tito’s is here to support them during this pandemic.”

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Qualified individuals can register each week at this link to be eligible to pick up a Great Grocery Giveback box of groceries at a designated location of their choice. Registration will begin each week on Sunday at noon and end the following Wednesday at 2 p.m., unless tickets sell out prior to the registration close. Notifications will be sent by email. Pickup is every Friday at the distribution location and time selected during registration. Each week a “grocery list” will be created that will consist of items selected by a Sysco representative. That list will be determined based on three main components - cost effectiveness, versatility and suitability for a well-rounded meal plan.

“Food is our business and our passion at Sysco, and we are proud to support and serve the restaurant community in Central Alabama,” said Frank Schuster, President of Sysco of Central Alabama. “Sysco is actively working to identify ways to support our customers, communities and business partners during this challenging time, and we are honored to collaborate with Tito’s and YP to provide support to those in our community that have been negatively impacted through layoffs and furloughs during this crisis.”

The first week’s groceries from the Great Grocery Giveback are sponsored by Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Anheuser Busch and Stella Artois.

Recipients of groceries this week will each receive the following: 5 boneless skinless chicken breasts, 3 Idaho potatoes, 1 lb. fresh green beans, 1 lb. broccoli cuts, 1 loaf of bread, 1 gallon of milk, 1 dozen eggs, 1 lb. margarine, 12 oz mixed cheese, 3 oranges, 1 lb. cavatappi pasta and 3 individual bags of Chex Mix Snack Packs.

In addition to the founding sponsors of the Great Grocery Giveback, support comes from sponsors such as Bama Bud/Anheuser Busch, Stella Artois, Red Diamond Coffee & Tea, Style Advertising, Campesino Rum, Sidewalk Film Festival, Birmingham Restaurant Week, B&B Beverage Management, Black Market Bar and Grill and Courtyard Oyster Bar and Grill.

“We owe everything to the folks in the service industry and we’re committed to helping them in any way we can,” Cobb said. “These individuals are suffering the brunt of the crisis, and it is our privilege to be part of an initiative that benefits them, and others in need.”

Donations can be made directly to the initiative via the Great Grocery Giveback Venmo account: @GreatGroceryGiveback. Follow the Great Grocery Giveback on Facebook and Instagram at @GreatGroceryGiveback and with the hashtags: #GreatGroceryGiveback #GreatGroceryGiveback #LoveTitos #YPBirmingham #SyscoCares.

For more information about how to sign up to receive groceries, how to become a sponsor or how to volunteer, visit www.GreatGroceryGiveback.com or e-mail GreatGroceryGiveback@gmail.com.