Publix Gives Back to First Responders and Farmers Amid COVID-19

The grocer introduced reserved first responder shopping hours and an initiative to help farmers across the state.

For most Floridians, shopping at Publix for weekly essentials is part of the routine. During the coronavirus pandemic, however, running to Publix has taken on a new meaning: for many, it is the singular occasion to leave home amid shelter-at-home orders. Finding necessities on the shelves has become a symbol of comfort during uncertain times and has brought a semblance of normalcy to our lives.

To extend the efforts to support the communities they serve, Publix has implemented reserved hours for first responders and hospital staff to shop safely in their stores across the region. On Thursday evenings from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday mornings from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m., the supermarkets (and in-store pharmacies) will stay open later and open earlier to accommodate the needs of the heroes on the front lines of the fight against coronavirus.

In addition to serving medical personnel and first responders amid the pandemic, Publix committed to supporting the farming community, which has suffered economic woes as a result of the closures and sheltering-in-place across the state, and food banks, who are serving an unprecedented number of people. Publix will purchase goods directly from farmers to donate to Feeding America member food banks, including the Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida, which will help to feed families across Collier, Lee, Hendry, Charlotte, and Glades Counties.

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