About
For nearly 100 years, family-owned IGA stores have been giving back and supporting worthy causes. They do it because they want to support and nurture our communities and the people who live in them. They do it because it’s the right thing to do. Most of all, they do it because they care.
As stewards of the IGA brand and the proud members of the Independent Grocers Alliance, we felt it was our responsibility to ensure that when a store faced an unimaginable crisis, we could support them in the same way they so often and so selflessly support others. So in 1993 we created the Hometown Proud Foundation, a 501(c)(3) dedicated to supporting IGA stores and the communities they serve when the need arises. 100% of the funds raised go to ensuring these family owned businesses survive and thrive.
Current Need: Eastern Kentucky IGA Stores & Communities Affected By Historic Floods
Isom IGA
It’s a scene of unimaginable disaster. This proud rural community of 1,365 people in Letcher County saw homes destroyed, local businesses filled with mud and debris, and the only grocery store for miles around, Isom IGA, was left devastated after being submerged under six feet of muddy water. The people of Isom, Kentucky lost not only their homes, belongings, and livelihoods, but also their access to fresh food and water.
But as of Monday, August 1 cleanup had begun. While store owner Gwen Christon is still in shock, the people of Isom are rallying behind her to rebuild and restore the store that sits at the physical and figurative heart of the community.
Isom IGA is a valued member of the Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA) and IGA USA wants to do what we can to help Gwen and her team find a path forward.
Whitaker's Food World IGA
20 miles east of Isom in Neon, Kentucky, David Whitaker watched flood waters advance rapidly, bringing with them remnants of the destruction already reaped across eastern Kentucky from fell trees to metal bridges. His store, Whitaker's Food World IGA was flooded and without power for five days. He lost all of his perishable stock and will need to replace some floor tiles, but Whitaker is more concerned about the devastation to the community.
The floods killed at least 37 people and many of the survivors' homes and businesses are decimated, with mobile homes reduced to their frames and insides of buildings plastered with debris and mud. In a poverty-stricken region, many don't have insurance to help replace lost vehicles and destroyed homes.
